Global

UNICEF works to safeguard the rights of children, women and their communities before, during and after public health emergencies. A long-term vision for Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response (PHE-PR) is set out in a new UNICEF White Paper, “Putting the Best Interest of Children, Women and their Communities at the Center of Public…

Online child sexual exploitation and abuse continue to grow and diversify. This report sets out how the WeProtect Global Alliance Model National Response framework is supporting national efforts to tackle this scourge. The WeProtect Global Alliance and UNICEF worked together on this review, which captures an extensive body of experience across 42…

The use of new, rapidly changing digital technologies to sexually exploit and abuse children, the wide reach of online services and the fact that such exploitation and abuse may involve victims and perpetrators from different jurisdictions, all pose challenges to States seeking to protect their children. Many States have yet to put in place or…

  Data Must Speak is a multi-country initiative that provides technical assistance to country governments to implement projects that unlock the potential of data within education systems and facilitate knowledge generation. The Data Must Speak Practical Implementation Guide for Community Engagement and Social Accountability helps define Data Must…

Community engagement and social accountability are crucial to remove barriers to achieving quality education for all, including access to education and retention. These guidelines help show how to address social and behavioural barriers and how to enhance community engagement and social accountability in education through social and behaviour…

This brief is an extract from UNICEF’s report 'Ending online child sexual exploitation and abuse: Lessons learned and promising practices in low- and middle income countries' ( Ending Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse | UNICEF ), and sets out examples of scale up, adaptation and innovation in UNICEF programming to address children’s…

This report takes stock of UNICEF’s work to address online child sexual exploitation and abuse. It is intended for policymakers and practitioners to inform policy and practice in this field. Based primarily on analysis of survey responses from 29 UNICEF country offices, the report sets out the current level of implementation of the WeProtect Model…

UNICEF is committed to tackling all forms of sexual misconduct and sexual violence. The United Nations distinguishes between sexual exploitation and sexual abuse, sexual harassment, and sexual violence against children. Sexual exploitation refers to any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for…, Sexual exploitation and abuse, In every context in which UNICEF operates, whether in emergency or non-emergency settings, people trust development and humanitarian workers to assist and protect them. The vast majority do so with professionalism and integrity. However, some aid workers abuse their position of power through the sexual exploitation and abuse of those who depend on…, UNICEF’s programming to protect children, UNICEF’s Protecting children from sexual exploitation and abuse Child Protection programming helps prevent and respond to sexual exploitation and abuse. We’re on the ground in more than 150 countries and territories, providing a first line of response for children at risk. UNICEF aims to provide timely assistance to every victim of sexual…, UNICEF’s work with implementing partners, UNICEF works together with our implementing partners to prevent and respond to sexual exploitation and abuse in their operations. UNICEF requires that all civil-society-organization implementing partners are assessed on their capacity to tackle sexual exploitation and abuse and meet specific core standards. One way that UNICEF supports…, UNICEF’s work within the United Nations system, UNICEF actively participates in joint United Nations (UN) efforts to prevent and respond to sexual exploitation and abuse. Find more information on these efforts led by the UN Special Coordinator on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse here , and those led by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee here ., UNICEF’s public accountability with respect to allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse, UNICEF publicly posts information about reported cases of sexual exploitation and abuse on the UN system-wide tracker, whether the allegations involve personnel or partners implementing its programmes .  Annually, UNICEF’s Executive Director certifies that all known UNICEF cases of sexual exploitation and abuse have been or are being addressed.…, Sexual harassment, UNICEF considers sexual harassment to be a form of misconduct, and takes any reports of sexual harassment seriously. Sexual harassment may occur in the workplace or in connection with work, for example during official travel or social functions related to work. While typically involving a pattern of conduct, sexual harassment may take the form of…, Report sexual exploitation or abuse, sexual harassment or other types of misconduct, If you become aware of credible information regarding a possible situation of sexual exploitation or abuse, sexual harassment or other types of misconduct, please report it directly or through your head of office to UNICEF’s Office of Internal Audit and Investigations  by emailing integrity1@unicef.org . If you are uncertain that the situation is…, Learn more

The Action to End Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation, online and offline, is intended for policy makers and partners. It uses key findings from the UNICEF evidence review to propose a framework of action to prevent and respond to child sexual abuse and exploitation.

This evidence review documents what we know about the extent, nature and consequences of child sexual abuse and exploitation for children in different contexts. It outlines evidence of effective interventions and strategies to prevent and respond to child sexual abuse and exploitation. The findings of this evidence review are summarized in Action…

Communication for Development (C4D) is one of the core change strategies that contribute directly to the achievement of results within each of the goal areas of the UNICEF Strategic Plan, 2018–2021. By identifying and addressing social norms, behaviours and practices, C4D strengthens programming and improves outcomes for children and adolescents.…, Communication for Development (C4D) is an evidence-based and participatory process that facilitates the engagement of children, families, communities, the public and decision makers in both development and humanitarian contexts through a mix of available communication platforms and tools. UNICEF promotes and applies C4D to drive positive…, Results, The most typical and also the most powerful way to work towards fulfilling children’s rights is in partnership – with governments, other United Nations agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), communities and families. Just as UNICEF does not stand alone, neither does Communication for Development.   Results stem from the collaboration of…, Two of the many important tools in the C4D toolbox, Screenshot of UNICEF's U-Report website UNICEF/2020 U-Report U-Report is a platform accessible by phone and computer which engages users via alerts, surveys and one-on-one chats. It is designed to address multiple issues affecting children, young people and communities by directly providing life-saving or changing information to them in a timely…, Generating demand for, and use of, services, Demand generation is the process of creating a need, or belief in the need, for a product or service among a particular target audience. C4D strategies stimulate or accelerate demand for services in a number of ways, including reducing stigma, developing gender-sensitive communication, and mass mobilization. Three girls in a refugee camp holding…, Adoption of key parenting and family practices, While children and their caregivers must demand, have access to and use services for their well-being, essential healthy and protective caregiving and family practices are equally important. These practices are not dependent on services, but have an almost exclusive behavioural component. Evidence has shown that these are critical to child…, Promoting positive parenting, Fostering fathers’ participation, particularly from the antenatal phase through early childhood, is an important area of work for UNICEF. More than half of children aged between 3 and 4 years old in 74 countries have fathers who do not play or engage in early learning activities with them (55 per cent, approximately 40 million). Social norms,…, Abandonment of harmful social norms or adoption of positive ones, By reinforcing positive norms that protect children, or encouraging the abandonment of social norms that condone or facilitate negative behaviours, C4D activities encourage parents, families and societies to change both behaviours and perceptions of what is socially acceptable, as well as encouraging agency in identifying and demanding related…, Promoting Positive Gender Socialization, In Egypt, girls face gender disparities and a high prevalence of harmful practices such as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). In 2019, UNICEF supported the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood to design and implement the first national girls’ empowerment initiative, “Dawwie” (meaning “loud voice with an impact”).  A group of girls standing…, Engaging and empowering communities, adolescents and children, C4D strategies seek to engage and empower communities and young people, particularly the most marginalized, to enable them as agents of change in both development and humanitarian contexts. This includes efforts to systematize mechanisms for engagement to improve their health and well-being, to hold service providers and policymakers to account…, Strategic partnerships with faith leaders to facilitate community engagement, UNICEF has led a scaling up of the Faith and Positive Change for Children (FPCC) Global Initiative on Social and Behaviour Change. In the Niger, one of the five early adopters of FPCC, the commitment of communities, religious and traditional leaders have been essential to reducing and eliminating traditional practices that constitute violence…, System strengthening and regional efforts to effect change at scale, Under the guidance of regional offices, initiatives are carried out to generate multi-country behavioural evidence and to provide technical support for the development of conceptual frameworks, strategies and guidance. The following provide examples of results from three regions; examples from the other regions and at the global level can be found…, Looking forward, The outbreak of COVID-19 was first reported at the end of 2019, and had become a pandemic by early March 2020. At the time of writing, it has become clear that the global crisis will have a significant and severe impact on children. Basic services from health to education have been disrupted, and the wider socioeconomic impacts are yet to be…, Communication for Development (C4D)Advancing positive social and behaviour change Global Annual Results Reports 2019 SUPPLEMENT TO THE Cover image: UNICEF/UN0212225/Noorani A mother and father hold their newborn in a recovery room at UNICEF supported Al Quseya Central Hospital, Assuit governorate, Egypt. C4D initiatives in Egypt encourage…

Violence against children takes many forms. It can be physical, emotional or sexual. It happens in all countries and any setting – in a child's home, community, school and online. In some parts of the world, violent discipline is socially accepted and common. And for many girls and boys, violence comes at the hands of the people they trust – their…, Explore topics, In Honduras, a fourteen-year-old boy sits at home as his mother places her palm on his back in comfort. Violence in schools, Every child has the right to go to school and learn, free from fear. Learn more, A 16-year-old girl in Madagascar browses the Internet. Violence online, Every child must be protected from violence, exploitation and abuse on the internet. Learn more, An 8-year-old girl clutches a stuffed toy while sitting on the arm of a bench at a shelter in her home country.. Sexual violence, Sexual violence knows no boundaries. It occurs in every country, across all parts of society. Learn more, Key facts, Some 15 million adolescent girls aged 15–19 have experienced forced sex in their lifetime. About 10% of the world's children are not legally protected from corporal punishment. Over 1 in 3 students aged 13–15 experience bullying worldwide. Approximately 1 in 4 children under the age of 5 – some 176 million – live with a mother who is a victim of…, How does violence against children affect sustainable development?, Violence against children significantly undermines the social and economic development of communities and nations. The global economic costs resulting from physical, psychological and sexual violence against children are estimated to be as high as $7 trillion – roughly 8 per cent of global GDP annually. Increased public expenditure on child…, Resources, UNICEF Humanitarian Practice: COVID-19 Technical Guidance End Violence against Children Homepage Advocacy Brief: Violence Against Children Advocacy Brief: Child Online Protection Action to End Violence against Children in Schools: Review of Programme Interventions Illustrating Actions to Address Violence against Children in and around Schools …, UNICEF’s response, Children from Burudi use tablets to learn in a refugee camp in Rwanda in 2019. In Mahama Camp, Rwanda, UNICEF and partners provide tablet-based learning sessions for Burundian refugee children in 2019. Each week, over 500 children participate in these sessions to learn about gender equality, violence prevention, and how to report violence through…