Survivors of violence against children to play major role in the first-ever Global Ministerial Conference on the issue

A new group of survivors of all forms of violence will play a significant role at the first-ever Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children.

The creation of the Global Survivor Council (GSC) ahead of the Conference  which is taking place  on November 7-8, 2024, in Bogotá, Colombia, is a major step forward in ensuring survivor voices are heard at what will be the most important ever gathering of world leaders dedicated to ending violence against children.

The Brave Movement, a survivor-centered movement dedicated to ending child abuse,  is leading the coordination of the Global Survivor Council (GSC).

The GSC brings together individuals from survivor-led networks across the globe who can speak to all forms of violence against children. It will play a crucial role in ensuring continuous survivor engagement in the design and delivery of the conference and the final political declaration.

The Global Ministerial, hosted by the Governments of Colombia and Sweden in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and the United Nations Special Representative to the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children (SRSG VAC), will provide an unprecedented opportunity to secure robust commitments to ending violence against children.

” Including survivors in the policy-making process empowers them and validates their experiences, acknowledging their resilience and agency. As a survivor-centered movement, we are honored to lead the coordination of the GSC for the upcoming Global Ministerial Conference, which places survivor voices at the heart of the discussion, ensuring their voices are heard. Their lived experiences shape policies that guarantee children are safe,” said Dr. Daniela Ligiero, CEO of Together for Girls and Founder of the Brave Movement.

The Brave Movement has co-developed best practice guidelines for ensuring meaningful representation of children, youth, CSOs, public survivors, and survivor leaders and is leading the effort to build a model for national governments to establish formal survivor councils.

During the conference, the Brave Movement will contribute to creating and launching a new roadmap to ending childhood sexual violence, developed in partnership with survivor leaders and policymakers. This will create a platform that not only highlights the prevalence and impact of childhood sexual violence but also highlights a broad spectrum of survivor experiences to call for prevention, healing, and justice.

About the Brave Movement

Hosted by Together for Girls, the Brave Movement is a survivor-led global movement campaigning to end childhood sexual violence. It is led by 14 powerful survivors and allied partners. The movement demands bold and transformative action to mobilize billions for programs focused on prevention, healing, and justice worldwide, abolish statutes of limitation in every nation, and create a safer internet for children.

Media Contact:
Marek Pruszewicz – [email protected]