G L O B A L I N I T I A T I V E
Child Protection & Health
Global estimates indicate that as many as 1 billion children aged 2–17 years, have experienced violence (physical, sexual, or emotional), or neglect, in the past year. Violence experienced during childhood has lifelong implications for physical and mental health.
Globally, ending violence against children is prioritized within the Sustainable Development Goals, where Target 16.2 calls for ending “abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against, and torture of, children”. The US Government has established ‘Protecting Children from Violence’ as one of three objectives within its Strategy for International Assistance on Advancing Protection and Care for Children in Adversity. With funding from USAID’s Displaced Children and Orphan’s Fund, CIRGH is working with the HEARD Project to implement two work streams to address children in adversity: Data-Informed Strategies to End Violence Against Children and Child Safeguarding. Within data-informed strategies to end violence against children, we provide direct support to country efforts to act on Violence Against Children and Youth Survey (VACS) data through strengthened policy and program efforts, with a focus on connecting learning across country experiences
Data-Driven Efforts to End Violence Against Children
Below you will find information on the two major components of CIRGH’s efforts to end violence against children. These efforts are funded primarily by USAID’s Health Evaluation and Applied Research Development (HEARD) Project. Their purpose is to explore how data on the prevalence of violence against children – specifically, data derived from Violence Against Children Surveys (VACS) – can drive action on the ground. They seek to learn what processes, technical support, and coordination mechanisms have proven most useful in successful implementation of the surveys as well as the subsequent development (and funding) of national action plans.
Project Partners
CIRGH partners with organizations at both the global and country levels to better understand government-led efforts to improve policies and programs based on Violence Against Children Survey (VACS) results. We are working with these partners to support, test and evaluate innovative models and interventions to end violence against children across countries and contexts.
