During the last two years, Albania has faced several extreme cases of violence and sexual exploitation, especially against girls, where violence has been linked to online sexual exposure of victims on social networks, as an opportunity to guarantee long-term sexual exploitation by organized groups of young boys or men. These cases have put Albania and its institutions at a crossroads in finding sustainable solutions, which put the child at the centre. Lack of experience in handling cases, increased reporting by children and social prejudices that promote silence or non-reporting have made it urgent the need for discussion between decision-makers, public officials and professionals on what model shall Albania implement to protect and care for child-victims of sexual violence and exploitation.

At the event, the organizers will share findings of the Voices of Survivors project in Albania, with a particular focus on the recommendations for the improvement of prevention and support services shared by the young survivors. They will also present the Barnahus model and discuss with representatives of public institutions, CSOs, national and international experts on the benefits of Barnahus model and how Albania can move forward.

On the International Day of the Girl Child, World Vision International and Childhood and Youth Studies at the University of Edinburgh are hosting a panel to gather researchers, practicioners, and others to learn more about child activism to end child marriage. This event will provide a platform for researchers to share key findings and discussion points from an explanatory research study in Bangladesh and Ghana, while also promoting the importance of child activism and participation.

More than a billion children are expected to be learning on any given school day and will spend up to seven hours in the presence of their classmates and a teacher or adult who is mandated to foster their learning and development. Yet, in some countries, up to 95% of students experience corporal punishment at school and a third of children report experiencing physical and psychological bullying.

Safe and inclusive education is a basic right of every child, but for too many children around the world, this opportunity is denied. Large numbers of children are intimidated, marginalized and prevented from fully engaging in their educational opportunities due to fear of violence and harm that is perpetrated in learning environments, be they at school, on the way to school, at home, or online. 

As governments around the world shift their focus to reimagining education and work towards keeping children learning in the midst of COVID-19, the Coalition for Good Schools and the Safe to Learn Initiative have come together to co-host a Together to #ENDviolence Affiliate Event to present the case for preventing violence against children in and around schools. It will highlight research demonstrating the magnitude of the problem including the economical impacts, and will provide guidance on how to build momentum towards safer learning, for meaningful progress at the country level.

The event will present an opportunity to discuss this issue in two parts followed by a facilitated discussion.

Part 1: Why prioritize prevention of VAC at schools?

Part 2: What needs to happen to prevent VAC at schools?

Through these discussions participants will:

• Gain a deeper understanding of the issue of violence against children in schools
• Prioritize the issue of preventing violence against children in and through schools
• Learn how schools can be used as a unique entry point to prevent violence
• Collectively develop key advocacy strategies, partnerships, and messaging for sufficient investment in creating violence free schools
• Appreciate the importance of voices from the Global South in leading this agenda

Speakers: 

• Dr. Howard Taylor, Executive Director, End Violence Partnership
• Dr. Chloë Fèvre, Director, Safe to Learn Global Initiative, End Violence Partnership
• Mr. Dipak Naker, Co-Founder and Co-Director of Raising Voices and Founder of the Coalition for Good Schools
• Dr. Karen Devries, Professor of Social Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

• Dr. Quentin Wodon, Lead Economist, World Bank
• Ms. Emily Esplen, Head of Ending Violence Team, UK FCDO
• Stuart Cameron, Thematic Lead on Equity & Inclusion at Global Partnership for Education
• Dr. John Kalage, Executive Director, HakiElimu