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One Woman’s Roar Against Sexual Violence in African Schools #WD2023

One Woman’s Roar Against Sexual Violence in African Schools #WD2023

allAfrica.com

Kigali, Rwanda — In the fight against sexual violence against children in Africa, one name stands out: Kanga Rasi.

Driven by her own experiences as a survivor of childhood sexual violence, Kanga is an inspiring leader who is leading the charge to end violence against children throughout the continent.

“I am a survivor of childhood sexual violence at 10. My lived experience motivated me to do this. This for me, it’s not work. For me, it’s that I wouldn’t wish another child, whether a girl or boy to experience what I did, because I know the impact of it, whether psychologically, whether health-wise, whether how you show up in society, how it affects also you as an individual,” she said.

Kanga is a beacon of hope for others who have been through similar experiences.

Her vision extends beyond her own personal healing, as she recognizes the urgent need for a society that safeguards the innocence and well-being of children. She is a tireless advocate for prevention, awareness, and support systems for survivors. She is determined to create a world where no child has to experience violence, and she is working tirelessly to make that vision a reality. Over the past nine years, she has worked with a variety of organizations at the international, regional, national, and grassroots levels to address issues such as gender-based violence, reproductive rights, education, and women in leadership.

Kanga said that “if we want children to reach their full potential, we need to break down the barriers that stand in their way. Some of these barriers are systemic, but we can still make a difference by speaking out about our lived experiences and working to change the systems that perpetuate child abuse and neglect. By working together, we can ensure that all children have the opportunity to live their best lives”.

“Inculcating school-based gender-based violence (SRGBV) in our curriculums is important,” she said. “This should start with teacher training programs so that teachers understand what GBV is and how to talk to students about it. Once GBV is included in the curriculum, teachers should be aware of how to relay the information to students in a way that is both informative and sensitive. Additionally, students should be given opportunities to participate in crafting solutions to GBV, as their lived experiences are essential to developing effective prevention and response strategies.”

Gender-Based Violence in Schools – A Silent Epidemic

Schools are meant to be safe places for children to learn and grow. Yet, a chilling reality has shattered this ideal, plunging schools into the depths of a global crisis. Violence, once deemed unthinkable within these sacred spaces, has emerged as a relentless force, gripping the hearts of 246 million learners worldwide, reports UNESCO.

Violence can take many forms, including sexual harassment, physical assault, bullying, discrimination, verbal abuse, and harmful gender norms.

Africa, like many regions across the globe, faces significant challenges in addressing school-related gender-based violence (SRGBV). It is estimated that one in three girls in sub-Saharan Africa will experience some form of SRGBV during her school years, according to UNESCO. Alarming statistics show that between 46% and 78% of adolescent girls in African schools have experienced some form of SRGBV. This can have a devastating impact on girls’ education, mental health, and overall well-being and perpetuate a cycle of gender inequality. As a result, many girls are forced to avoid school, perform below their potential, or even drop out altogether. This violence has a significant negative impact on the educational achievements of female students.

SRGBV encompasses various forms, including sexual harassment, assault, bullying, discrimination, and harmful gender norms.

The consequences of SRGBV are far-reaching.

However, the Brave Movement is emerging as a global force. The organization aims to end all forms of sexual violence against children. It operates on the belief that survivors should be at the forefront of the fight against sexual violence, and their voices and experiences should guide the movement’s actions.  The Brave Movement, launched in April 2022, has experienced significant growth. The movement has members from around the world, with particularly rapid growth in Africa and Europe.

The Brave Movement’s advocacy is focused on these three pillars: prevention, healing, and justice. The movement believes that by working together, these partners can make a real difference in the lives of children who have been affected by violence.

Anna Macdonald, the Executive Director of Brave Movement, says that the Brave Movement is a survivor-led activist movement that works to end childhood sexual violence in Africa. The organization is committed to removing the stigma associated with survivors of childhood violence and creating a world where all children can grow up safe and free from fear. Brave Movement operates on a continent-wide level, with a substantial membership base in countries like Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, and South Africa. The organization is actively engaged in Pan-African objectives, including joint campaigns and support for national-led initiatives.

The Brave Movement is a powerful example of how survivors of childhood sexual violence can use their voices to create positive change.

“One of its key principles is to amplify the voices of survivors, ensuring that they are able to present their perspectives and be heard by decision-makers when discussing policy solutions,” Macdonald said. “The organization firmly believes that individuals who have experienced the trauma of childhood sexual violence are well-positioned to advocate for effective measures to prevent such trauma for future generations.”

“Brave Movement advocates for Survivor councils to provide advice to governments and to include survivors in all policy dialogues. This involvement extends to sectors such as education, sports, and religion, where Brave Movement works to enhance safety and address issues related to childhood violence,” said Macdonald.   “The majority of our leadership team are survivors. Our 15-member leadership group is made up of survivors from 12 different countries. They advise and develop our organization’s policies and aspirations, and they are our spokespeople. For example, Kanga Rasi, our Africa campaign manager, is a survivor and an accomplished activist.”

Successful initiatives

The United Nations declared November 18 as the World Day for the Prevention of and Healing from Child Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Violence. The day is intended to spotlight the sexual exploitation and abuse of children and to stress the need for prevention, for perpetrators to be brought to justice, and for victims to be given a voice as part of the long process of healing.

“This is a key success, as many African countries took part in campaigns last year to speak out against childhood violence,” said Kanga. “The UN Declaration has set aside this time to raise awareness of the issue and to promote best practices for preventing violence against children.”

“In Kenya, some partners have been instrumental in influencing the Children’s Act to incorporate provisions that protect children from violence. The Act currently addresses the evolving nature of child violence, including online safety. For example, there have been cases of live-streamed violence against children and online grooming,” she added. “Kenya has been successful in preventing these atrocities because of the Children’s Act and the work of its partners. However, there is still more work to be done. The different countries and partners involved in the Era Two Week are coming together to share best practices and to develop new strategies for preventing childhood violence.”

The purpose of the Era Two Week, as declared by the United Nations, is to bring attention to and address the issue of child sexual exploitation, abuse, and violence.

Macdonald also added that in 2023, “The Brave movement successfully campaigned with the G7 countries to secure a commitment from their ministers to fund and resource the ending of childhood violence.”

“This was a significant achievement because the impact of childhood violence costs the world billions of dollars in terms of the trauma that a child may grow up into an adult with unresolved trauma and the many problems that can cause in society. She said that getting an actual commitment from some of the most well-resourced countries in the world to invest in preventing child violence was a first step towards a successful campaign to make this a worldwide initiative.”

Future goals

Kanga said, “First and foremost, I believe that all African countries should ratify the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. This is an important charter that protects the rights of all children, especially in Africa. In addition, we need to address the issue of intrafamilial sexual violence, which is a major problem in Africa. This includes incest, whether it is committed by a father, uncle, or aunt. We need to look at how things have been done in the past and find ways to change them so that children are protected from this type of violence.”

“Online safety and sexual violence are major concerns for children today. There are a number of things that can be done to prevent these issues, including strong policies and implementation, education, and support. Funding is essential for preventing these issues, and the current reality for many children is that they do not feel safe online or in school. We need to create a world where children feel safe and protected, and this is possible if we invest in prevention and support.”

Elevating the voices of survivors

At the Women Deliver conference, Macdonald’s message to women is that childhood sexual violence is a feminist issue and a gender issue that is intersectional with many other issues, such as inequality, marginalization, and education. She is calling on women to recognize that childhood sexual violence is a serious issue that affects them disproportionately. She is also urging them to demand that safeguarding measures be put in place to protect children from violence. She highlights the fact that girls and women are disproportionately affected by violence, both as children and as adults, and that childhood sexual violence is not possible to address without also addressing these other issues. She calls for safeguarding measures to be put in place to protect children from violence, including measures such as providing safe and inclusive environments and making it easy for people to report concerns.

Kanga encourages Women Deliver to incorporate the lived experiences of survivors into their advocacy efforts to end childhood violence. She believes that survivors’ lived experiences are essential to advocacy because they cannot be taken away and can inform policy and interventions in ways that data and research cannot. Survivors can share their stories to raise awareness of the issue and build support for change, and they can provide insights into the challenges of healing from childhood violence, which can help to develop more effective interventions.

Sign the G7 petition and end sexual violence

Ask leaders of the world’s richest countries to take bold action to end childhood sexual violence when they meet in June at the G7 summit

Develop a National Call to Action

Find out how to create a National Call to Action for your country and read other countries’ submissions

Follow @BeBraveGlobal on Twitter

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CIFF Supports the Brave Movement to Address Online Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation

CIFF Supports the Brave Movement to Address Online Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation

Online sexual violence is one of the largest silent pandemics of our time. During the COVID-19 pandemic, increased online activity, economic instability and other factors only increased violence.

We are pleased to announce that we have received a $500,000 USD grant from the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) that will support the Brave Movement to put in place the infrastructure for a survivor-led initiative to hold technology companies accountable for ending Online Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (OCSAE). The initiative will enable adult survivors and allies to push technology companies to take responsibility for the safety of children on their platforms (safety by design) and to immediately detect, report and remove all Child Sexual Abuse Material.

“Nothing is more powerful than a survivor’s voice. The Brave Movement is committed to ending child sexual violence and we are grateful to have received this vital support from CIFF to push us further in our commitment to advocating for bold and transformational programs and laws” said Anna Macdonald, Executive Director of Brave Movement.

“At CIFF, we are with survivors. Sharing their lived experience can make a huge difference, and we are with the Brave Movement as they seek to change mindsets and put in place bold and transformational programs and laws at all levels to address and defeat childhood sexual violence. CIFF is committed to ending CSV, supporting our partners who fight the fight for every child and, ultimately, to be Brave.” Kate Hampton, CEO of CIFF.

The Brave Movement believes in the right of all individuals to be safe from sexual violence in any space, and in the system’s responsibility to ensure this.

It is hosted by Together for Girls, a global partnership dedicated to breaking the cycle of violence against children, with special attention to sexual violence.

G7 Call to Action

G7 Call to Action

Survivors of sexual violence in childhood and adolescence and their allies join forces to call for bold and transformative action from G7 leaders this year.

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1. PRIORITIZE ENDING CHILDHOOD SEXUAL VIOLENCE

G7 leaders should include this issue on their agenda when they meet in June and make concrete and timebound commitments in the leaders communiqué.

G7 Interior and Security Ministers should meet in 2022 to drive forward their ‘Action Plan to Combat Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse’. This work should be informed by the G7 working group that was announced in 2021.

2. DELIVER ON EXISTING G7 COMMITMENTS

New commitments of $1 billion to the End Violence Fund housed at the Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children to scale prevention, healing, and justice programmes in low and middle income countries.

Commit to legislate on child-rights driven end-to-end encryption and end its use in childhood sexual violence.

Publish the agreed G7 plan for coordinated engagement with industry ahead of the June G7 summit.

3. ENGAGE WITH SURVIVORS

The G7 should establish a G7 Survivors Council as an advisory board which should help inform G7 policies and make sure that survivors’ knowledge is included in policy and practice.

4. DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT NATIONAL ACTION PLANS/STRATEGIES

These should be embedded in existing National Action Plans to End Violence Against Children, and build on the WePROTECT Model National Response, and should include:

  • A whole of government approach that is fully funded, and focused on prevention, healing, and justice
  • Training of all relevant state employees into how to interact with and support child and adult survivors of childhood sexual violence
  • Adequate support services for all survivors and national campaigns to de-stigmatise the use of such services
  • The abolition of Statutes of Limitation in cases of childhood sexual violence where that is not already the case
  • Community-based child-friendly approaches for responding to child violence and witnesses of child violence
  • Research into, and support programmes to overcome, the psychological motivation of perpetrators of childhood sexual violence.

The abhorrent global crisis of childhood sexual violence has been largely invisible, in part due to the devastating stigma and societally induced shame that many survivors experience, which prevents them from coming forward. It occurs in families, schools, places of worship, communities, sports programs, on line and in the context of dating relationships and child marriage. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the risk of online sexual abuse and exploitation as well as reduced access to prevention, interventions and response services for those who experience abuse.

It doesn’t have to be this way. As survivors and our allies, we demand prevention to protect this and every generation to come; healing for victims, survivors and their families; and justice for wrongdoers, the complicit, and the victimized. We call for bold and transformative action from G7 leaders to End Childhood Sexual Violence.

How the G7 can build on their existing commitments

This is a global crisis which requires a multilateral response as well as a national one. Online abuse crosses borders and is facilitated by technology companies with global reach (many of which are headquartered in G7 countries). Abuse also occurs in organizations with global reach (many of which are headquartered in G7 countries). Trafficking of children and sexual exploitation perpetrated by tourists also require global action. And as the G7 have previously acknowledged, a multinational effort is required to raise funds to support survivors.

The G7 Summit will take place from 26 to 28 June 2022 at the Schloss Elmau castle in the Bavarian Alps hosted by Chancellor Scholz and the Government of Germany. At the summit the G7 should build on and strengthen previous commitments including the G7 Interior and Security ministers 2021 Action plan to combat Child Sexual Exploitation and abuse (CSAE) and the G7 Heads of State 2018 Charleroix committment to ‘End sexual and gender-based violence. abuse. and harrassment in a digital context’. The G7 Heads of States should implement the specific SDG target 16.2 to end all forms of violence against children.

Germany can build on its own platform which gives the country credibility to lead. Over the past 12 years Germany has invested in four critical initiatives: the Independent Commissioner for CSAE, the Survivors Council as a political advisory body, the Independent Inquiry into CSAE, and the German Stakeholder Forum on CSAE. All of these were welcomed by the German Bundestag, and the new German government has committed to doing more.

A Memoir by Activist and Survivor Patrick Sandford

MUNICH, June 2022 – The estimates vary. Some say there were 5,000. Some say as many as 15,000. Whatever the accurate figure, there were a vast number of police vans and motorbikes, drivers and riders armed and clad in anti-terrorist gear, preceding, following and overtaking our bus as we progressed along the autobahn from Munich to Garmischen on the opening morning of the G7 Summit. We were not Heads of State or accompanying diplomats to justify such protection, but as we slid through at least three security check-points, it really felt like we had our own police escort. This was striking to me: someone had agreed in advance that our message was worth hearing.

We arrived, setting up our stall backed by a large cartoon showing G7 Leaders bringing child abuse to the table, alongside other pressing issues such as Ukraine and climate change. “NOW WE CAN START”, declares the cartoon President Scholz, a nod to the clear message sanctioned in June by the German G7 Presidency – ending childhood sexual abuse would be firmly on the G7 agenda.

The #BeBrave G7 Scorecard stood next to us, laying bare the lack of progress made by G7 nations to end childhood sexual violence. With all nations failing to turn their traffic lights green, a sea of amber and red boxes blazed across the van which bore the Brave Movement’s damning assessment of the world’s richest nations.

And who were we? An extraordinarily varied group, with one shared vision: a world in which children grow up free from sexual violence. Committed and passionate – two adjectives that buzzed in my head, all five days.

Our two leaders were a committed American Founder of the Brave Movement, and German co-chair of the G7 taskforce, who seems to have confronted successfully the entire Jesuit education system of Germany.

Two French delegates, one of whom by virtue of her birth also represented Japan, were both rigorous speakers, joyously good-humored, forceful and passionate. A ferociously powerful young woman from Bolivia, her intellectual fire as bright as her dress style, was accompanied by her mother and her baby. A distinguished, deeply thoughtful healer of survivors from Colombia sat beside a similarly experienced and delightfully avuncular Mauritian. An enthusiastic Nepalese organization leader, a brilliant Italian photographer, and naturally, several Germans – a mature and warmly generous woman, whose tenderness was matched by her intellect, wit and passion; a brilliant and provocative older man; a challengingly eloquent artist; and a thoughtful, articulate man from Berlin.

And there in the middle was me – the British gay man, wobbling on the cusp between middle and old age. Once the nine-year old boy sexually abused over and over again by his primary school teacher, who as a man found his survival strategy in the theatre – fiction, pretend characters and stories so much easier to deal with than real life. And now here I was engaging with both the personal and the political.

Here we all were, drawing our passion and commitment from the well of our own painful experiences, and transforming that energy into vibrant public speech. Direct, uncompromising, and unapologetic, demanding that these world leaders take seriously the pandemic of child sexual violation, a phenomenon as widespread and potentially deadly as COVID or AIDS.

Sexual abuse is not a broken ankle. It causes damages to the core identity of the child or young person, damage that can last a lifetime, unless properly addressed. No longer can we accept a politician’s discomfort with the subject as justification for non-action. No longer can we accept finance as an excuse – the figures show that every dollar, pound and euro spent on prevention and healing would save perhaps ten times that much in budgets for psychiatric health, prisons, social security offices, and unemployment centers. And no longer can we accept the conspiracy, cover-up and silencing of this criminal activity against our children, against your children and grandchildren.

These were the messages we were delivering, in my own case acutely aware that I was no longer alone, that I was blessed to be in the company of others who genuinely understood and respected me.That sense of belonging was a profound and lasting gift from our meeting.

A few of us had already begun in Munich the previous Friday. After a Press Conference in the city center, we moved across the road to unveil a 2m x 1m purple plaque remembering the 100,000 children abused by Catholic priests in Germany. Stuck on the wall of the Peterskirche – the oldest and most famous parish church in the city – press and passers-by studied and photographed the commemoration. And within 20 minutes, the plaque with its incriminating statement was removed by a church official. The admission of Church guilt could hardly be more blatant.

But our other large scale exhibits were not removed. In the Marienplatz at the very center of Munich, neither the large cartoon nor the van bearing the scorecard were defaced. On the contrary, many people hailed and photographed these declarations of our mission. An American woman cheered and applauded our efforts on behalf of her shy, abused daughter. Others recognised the enormity of the fight ahead: “How will you achieve this? Stopping sexual abuse is impossible. You will have an uphill struggle. But good luck to you! This matters.”

The people I will remember the most were two young policemen. Nervously approaching, one told me in careful English, “This is very important.’’ The other was clearly too close to tears to speak, reading about something he doubtless recognised. I cannot say definitively that these two young men were survivors. I can say that they were greatly moved by our truth. This is why we are here, I realized, to speak truth not just to power, but to ordinary people.

The Truth will set us free. There will be many such moments for the Brave Movement. This particular G7 moment of Truth arrived, in a clear paragraph in the G7 Final Communique:

“We commit to step up our fight against trafficking in human beings and our efforts to prevent and combat child sexual abuse and exploitation globally, both online and offline.”

This is the first time that child sexual abuse has been mentioned in over 45 G7 Communiques. An extraordinary achievement for the Brave Movement, survivors and allies all over the world. And so we celebrated, with delicious German roast pork, potato dumplings, sauerkraut, and the coldest, most welcome beer I have ever tasted in my life.

Now the work begins to get the job done!

Weeping Blossoms, a poem by Agnes Wich, Survivor

It was springtime.

The girl walked through the blossoming almond trees.

The heavy schoolbag on her back she did not feel.

Countless delicate pink petals covered the old, worn-out paving stones

on the path winding around the church.

A carpet of blossoms, a sea of blooms.

She did not take it in.

The spring wind blew the petals swirling from the trees.

On bright sunbeams they danced through the air like butterflies.

A dance of death – dying, just like the child.

Quietly the petals covered over the child’s soul, like broken-off butterfly wings.

A small, cramped hand opened hesitantly and stretched shyly towards

the falling blossoms.

A gentle breath of pink resurgent life laid itself delicately in the child’s

little hand and there it died.

Weeping blossoms.

Then it was over.

A dark cloud moved in front of the sun, the world turned grey.

Then the girl went to where she lived.

-Agnes Wich

Translation: Fr. Jim Corkery SJ.

Safer Internet

Safer Internet

We are calling for a child rights and protection driven approach to creating a safe internet.

Online childhood sexual violence is a universal, borderless crime. We demand action in every country around the world.

We demand a a safe internet, where children and adolescents are secure, protected and free from all forms of sexual violence online.

APRIL 2023 – support our survivor mobilization urging the EU to protect children from sexual violence!

On Tuesday 25 April 2023 join survivors in Brussels and worldwide urging the EU to pass a crucial set of rules that will allow millions of children to thrive both freely AND safely online.

Survivors of childhood sexual violence and leaders of the global Brave Movement will gather with activists and allies outside the EU Parliament on 25 April 2023 – as EU leaders debate crucial aspects of the proposed EU Regulation to prevent and combat child sexual abuse.

Brave will be joined by EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson, leading the process to pass the Regulation. Survivors are uniting to demand EU leaders be brave and act to protect millions of children at risk from the violence and trauma they faced.

We are asking survivors and allies worldwide to stand in solidarity with the team in Brussels by sharing on Twitter & Instagram why you want the EU to #BeBrave and protect children from sexual violence.

You can find everything you need to join this action in our Brave social media toolkit.

As access to the internet has increased globally, reports of online child sexual violence material have grown exponentially. The  number of online sexual exploitation reports rose by 100% from 2019 to 2020.  Despite online child sexual violence being prioritized by many countries, there is still significant work to do to ensure greater protection for children online. While 67% of countries have legislation prohibiting the showing or sending of sexually explicit material to a child online, only 35% of countries have specific legislation targeting online grooming.

Many survivors and allies are already mobilizing around this issue. Citizens across the EU have expressed support (68%) for the EU to implement legislation that will keep children safe online and for the use of automated tools to identify child sexual abuse materials..

There is also a clear political appetite. Interpol’s Secretary-General, Jurgen Stock, told the World Economic Forum in Davos that children are at greater risk of online sexual violence than ever before. The G7 interior ministers’ statement in 2022 included a specific mention of the threat the internet poses to children.

Campaigning for a safer internet presents opportunities to  discuss prevention of childhood sexual violence both online and offline.  Online childhood sexual violence images often depict violence committed by perpetrators in the immediate family circle of the child.

The Brave Movement calls on all technology companies to immediately detect, report, and remove all online childhood sexual violence material.

Listen to Sarah

Watch Brave Movement’s Sarah Cooper speaking passionately about her experience and the campaign at April’s #BeBrave Global Survivors Action Summit

Learn more about the issue

Read how Meta’s encryption plan will hide online child sexual exploitation

Abolish Statutes of Limitations

Abolish Statutes of Limitations

In too many countries around the world, there are arbitrary, archaic, predator-friendly statutory time limits that prevent survivors from being able to press charges against their perpetrators. They also prevent the public from learning the full truth.

Enough is enough! The Brave Movement calls on all governments to ensure that survivors have effective access to justice. This means urgently passing laws that abolish criminal and civil statutes of limitations (SOLs) to guarantee that survivors can bring perpetrators and complicit institutions to justice.

Brave survivor advocates are campaigning to make these changes a reality. From Latin America, to North America and Europe, we’re seeing the survivor movement mobilize!

In July 2023 a groundbreaking report co-authored by two of our survivor leaders and Child Global was launched. “Justice Unleashed” lays bare the tiered system of justice that survivors face across Europe, and presents a scorecard for all European nations, pointing to where changes are most urgently needed.

Join us in our call for governments around the world to abolish these outdated laws that stand in the way of survivors obtaining justice and the public learning the truth about this ongoing endangerment of our children.

Join the Brave Movement

Make sure you get the latest on campaigns to abolish time limits by joining the Brave Movement

Track Globally

Follow activists’ progress around the world to abolish Statutes of Limitations

Write To Your Elected Official

Write a letter to your elected representative, asking for their support to end arbitrary, archaic time limits that prevent justice

Suggested Script

Are you inspired to write to your leaders or local elected official about abolishing the statute of limitations? If so, here is a suggested script for you to use and adapt.

Dear [elected representative/leader],

My name is [INSERT NAME] and I’m a survivor of childhood sexual violence/work for X/am an ally of survivors of childhood sexual violence. I am writing to you on behalf of the Brave Movement/network/organization as a matter of urgency to ask for your support in bringing justice for survivors of childhood sexual violence.

Currently in [INSERT COUNTRY], there is an archaic, predator-friendly statutory time limit that prevents survivors from being able to press charges against their perpetrators. They also prevent the public from learning the full truth. [INSERT COUNTRY-SPECIFIC DETAIL].

1 in 5 women and 1 in 10 men report being sexually abused as children. Around the world, the laws are starting to change but unfortunately too many adult survivors in [COUNTRY] are still waiting for justice.

Will you commit to help abolish criminal and civil statutes of limitations in [COUNTRY]? By joining this historic movement, you will be part of the change that will guarantee survivors of childhood sexual violence can bring their perpetrators and complicit institutions to justice.

We would welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss this further. [PROVIDE DETAILS].

Yours faithfully,

[NAME]

Brave Movement Calls on the EU to Urgently Pass Robust Legislation 2023 on Child Sexual Abuse Prevention and Response

Childhood sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA) affects at least one in five girls and one in ten boys across socio-economic backgrounds. This violence causes a life-shattering impact on children and their families, and also costs an estimated 7 trillion or 3% to 8% of global GDP annually through jeopardy of their unfulfilled potential. Between 2010 and 2020, there has been a 9,000% increase in abuse images online, according to the U.S. National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The Internet Watch Foundation reported a record-breaking 252,000 URLs containing Child Sexual Abuse Materials in 2021.

The Brave Movement, a survivor-centered global movement fighting to end childhood sexual violence, is calling on the European Union (EU) to ensure a safe internet where children and adolescents are secure and free from all forms of sexual violence. The Brave Movement strongly backs the proposed EU Legislation to Prevent and Combat Child Sexual Abuse proposed by the European Commission under the leadership of the Commissioner for Home Affairs, with amendments, to ensure that it catalyzes a robust response to end childhood sexual violence in the EU. Nearly two-thirds of all known child sexual abuse material was traced to a European country in 2021, the EU needs to take bold action now to keep children safe.

The Brave Movement urges the European Parliament and Council of the EU to adopt robust legislation urgently during 2023. We believe it is important to ensure rapid passage of this historic regulation which will increase the safety of children, adolescents and future generations.

In the EU, digital spaces are in some cases completely unregulated – exposing children to the threat of horrific sexual violence and exploitation. Technology companies have the tools available to detect, report, and remove online sexual violence materials and grooming, and we will continue to put pressure on them to prioritize child safety ahead of anything else. This legislation should for the first time enforce mandatory rules on technology companies to detect, report, and remove sexual violence material which endangers children and adolescents and violates their rights.

The Brave Movement is calling for the creation of an EU Survivors’ Committee that would be led by adult survivors of online and offline childhood sexual violence from diverse backgrounds. EU Survivors’ Committee members, informed by their lived experience, would be able to provide invaluable policy recommendations and perspectives to the EU Centre and contribute to subsequent related policy actions taken by the EU Commission. This will strengthen the implementation of the proposed EU legislation, helping to prevent both online and offline childhood sexual violence, and support victims and survivors with healing, legal services, and technical services to remove their CSAM.

In summary, Brave Movement calls for:

  • A proportionate, long-term solution and legal framework that allows automated technology to be safely used to detect Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (CSEA) online.
  • The EU to make detection, reporting, and removal of child sexual violence materials and grooming mandatory for all internet service providers and platforms that provide a service or have users in the EU.
  • Encouragement of companies to engage in voluntary detection as they await reviews and mandatory detection orders from the EU Centre.
  • The legislation to mandate the use of grooming detection tools and deterrence mechanisms that disrupt pathways to offending against children, as well as classifiers to detect first-generation or ‘new’ material and tools to detect “known” material. This should be within a strong legal framework and with all necessary judicial safeguards to balance privacy rights.
  • The legislation to enable the development and deployment of technical solutions that help to eliminate, mitigate, or reduce threats to children’s safety, well-being, or rights in the rapidly evolving digital environment, including gaming and the metaverse.
  • The legislation to establish an EU Centre to tackle childhood sexual violence in Europe, that is harmonized to fit into the existing EU and global child safety governance architecture, and which includes a Survivors’ Committee

We call on all stakeholders in the European Union to #BeBrave to keep our children safe.

*Ends*

Le Brave Movement appelle l’UE à adopter en urgence une législation solide

L’exploitation et les violences sexuelles contre les enfants affectent une fille sur cinq et un garçon sur dix et concernent tous les milieux socio-économiques. Ces violences ont un impact tout au long de la vie des enfants ainsi que celles de leurs proches. Elles coûtent environ 7000 milliards de dollars, soit 3 à 8% du Produit intérieur brut mondial annuel, et mettent en péril le développement des enfants. Entre 2010 et 2020, le nombre d’images pédocriminelles sur internet a augmenté de 9.000%, selon le Centre national américain sur les enfants recherchés et exploités (NCMEC). L’Internet watch foundation (IWF) a signalé 252 000 liens URL contenant du matériel pédocriminel en 2021, un record.

Le Brave Movement, un mouvement de survivant.es dont l’objectif est de mettre fin aux violences sexuelles contre les enfants, appelle l’Union européenne (UE) à garantir un internet sûr où les enfants et les adolescent.es sont protégés de toutes formes de violences sexuelles. Le Brave movement soutient fermement la proposition de règlement pour prévenir et combattre les abus sexuels les enfants – législation proposée par la Commission européenne à l’initiative de la Commissaire aux Affaires intérieures – et propose des amendements permettant de renforcer son impact pour mettre fin aux violences sexuelles contre les enfants au sein de l’UE.Près de deux tiers des contenus de violences sexuelles sur enfant signalés sur internet en 2021 étaient hébergés dans un pays européen. L’Union européenne doit prendre des mesures fortes dès à présent pour assurer la sécurité des enfants.

Le Brave movement exhorte le Parlement européen et le Conseil de l’UE à adopter en urgence une législation solide d’ici la fin de l’année 2023. Nous pensons qu’il est important de garantir une adoption rapide de ce règlement historique qui renforcera la sécurité des enfants, des adolescent.es et des générations futures.

Au sein de l’UE, l’espace numérique est parfois une zone de non droit absolu, ce qui expose les enfants à de terribles violences et exploitations sexuelles. Les entreprises du secteur numérique disposent d’outils pour détecter, signaler et retirer les contenus pédocriminels et les actes de “grooming” qui permettent aux prédateurs sexuels de se rapprocher de leurs victimes. Nous continuerons à les exhorter à faire de la sécurité des enfants leur priorité numéro un.Pour la première fois, cette législation vise à contraindre les entreprises du secteur numérique à détecter, signaler et retirer tout contenu de violences sexuelles mettant en péril des enfants et des adolescent.es et portant atteinte à leurs droits.

Le Brave movement appelle à la création d’un comité de survivant.es qui serait composé de survivant.es adultes de violences sexuelles en ligne et hors ligne venant de différents milieux. Les membres de ce comité, fort.es de leur vécu de violences sexuelles dans l’enfance, seront en mesure de formuler des recommandations précieuses, de conseiller le Centre européen dans son action et de contribuer ainsi aux actions futures de la Commission européenne.Cela renforcera la mise en œuvre du règlement européen en contribuant à la prévention des violences sexuelles contre les enfants hors ligne et en ligne , à soutenir les victimes et survivant.es dans leur reconstruction et sur les aspects juridiques et techniques permettant la suppression des contenus pédocriminels en ligne.

En conclusion, le Brave movement exhorte l’UE à:

  • Adopter une approche proportionnée et à long terme ainsi qu’un cadre légal permettant l’utilisation sécurisée de technologies automatisées visant à détecter sur internet l’exploitation sexuelle et les crimes sur les enfants .
  • Rendre obligatoire la détection, le signalement et le retrait de tout contenu pédocriminel et des actes de grooming pour tous les fournisseurs internet et les plates-formes offrant un service ou ayant des utilisateurs.rices dans l’UE.
  • Encourager les entreprises à engager des mesures de détection sur la base du volontariat dans l’attente de l’examen et des ordres de détection émanant du Centre européen.
  • Rendre obligatoire la détection, le signalement et le retrait de tout contenu pédocriminel et des actes de grooming pour tous les fournisseurs internet et les plates-formes offrant un service ou ayant des utilisateurs.rices dans l’UE.
  • Favoriser par ce règlement le développement et le déploiement de solutions techniques pour éliminer, atténuer, ou diminuer les risques pour la sécurité, le bien-être ou les droits des enfants dans un monde numérique en constante et rapide évolution y compris dans les secteurs du gaming et du métavers.
  • Etablir un Centre européen permettant de s’attaquer aux violences sexuelles contre les enfants, qui puisse s’inscrire dans la gouvernance existante mondiale et européenne en matière de sécurité des enfants et qui inclura un comité de survivant.es.

Nous appelons tous les décideur.euses de l’Union européenne à faire preuve de courage pour protéger nos enfants. #BeBrave !