On March 29th and 30th 2022, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights heard the groundbreaking case of Brisa De Angulo Losada vs. Bolivia

Background:

• On March 29th and 30th 2022, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights heard the groundbreaking case of Brisa De Angulo Losada vs. Bolivia.
• The case has been so damning of the Bolivian government’s inaction that there have been threats to Brisa’s person, her family, doxxing of her private information and character assassination strategies to try and get her to drop the case.
• This week, Bolivia announced approval of new legislation for the protection of child victims of sexual violence that includes significant reforms aimed at reducing impunity and revictimization.
• Bolivian President Luis Arce’s statement on the new legislation can be viewed here

Statement by Brisa de Angulo, lawyer, child psychologist, human right activist and human rights defender:

JULY 11, 2022 – “In 2002, I was repeatedly raped and tortured by an adult family member. When I sought justice and support from the Bolivian government, I was failed by a judicial system which protects perpetrators and cements a culture of impunity. It was government officials who committed the most horrific acts of revictimization that I suffered.

But today, Bolivia has taken action to protect the children and adolescents who experience sexual violence in our country. This new law reduces the probability of the atorcous abuses of official capacity that I suffered in my case, and it creates clear mechanisms for holding government officials accountable. After almost twenty years of fighting for justice, I am so humbled to be part of this first and great step on the path to policy reform and justice for all of us.

This new legislation breaks new ground here in Bolivia. Now the Inter-American court must take the lead and act to ensure similar and even more extensive law and policy reform – and justice – for all children in the region.”

Statement by Bolivian Senator Andrea Barrientos:

“One of the most important aspects of this law is that the crime of rape against an infant, child, or adolesent is no long subject to a statute of limitations. This is of fundamental importance because, sadly, when a person suffers rape in childhood or adolescense, it takes a long time to denouce the crime because denouncing implies a process of profound healing.”

We’re dealing with an issue of International Human Rights. The Bolivian government, just a while back, lost a case involving that girl Brisa from Cochabamba. She is a victim of estupro and rape, and this iconic case has made us see that we have the duty to develop better protection policies immediately.”

“This effort is advancing in a meaningful and important way. It’s the first time the legislative branch is developing legislation with total consensus and unanimous agreement from both the Senate and Chamber of Deputies, as well as with the full collaboration of the three branches of government.”

Please contact press@bravenewsroom.org for interviews with Brisa and other members of the Brave Movement.

To find out more about the Brave Movement, please visit our website and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Wibke Müller, survivor, co-founder of the Brave Movement and co-chair of its G7 survivors’ taskforce responds

Wibke Müller, survivor, co-founder of the Brave Movement and co-chair of its G7 survivors’ taskforce:

Schloss Elmau, Germany, June 28 2022 – “When I was a child, nobody protected me from sexual violence. Today, G7 leaders have collectively committed for the first-time to be the protectors that I needed – and that all children deserve.

This is a first historic breakthrough for our movement. Survivors and our allies in the G7 countries and around the world want our leaders to know that words aren’t enough. We need bold action now. Starting in your countries, at the meeting of G7 interior ministers in October, and then at the 2023 G7 summit in Hiroshima.

Last week, the Brave Movement ranked G7 countries in their efforts to protect children and adolescents from childhood sexual violence, and found woefully inadequate action from all G7 countries.

The Brave Movement is calling on the G7 and all global governments to:

• Support the Brave Movement’s call for a global pledging event on November 18, 2022 and commit to an initial investment of at least US$1 billion per year for the established End Violence Fund
• Legislate to create a safe internet where children and adolescents are free from sexual violence
• Create a G7 Survivors Council to advise G7 governments on actions that they take to permanently end sexual violence against children everywhere and for every child.”

To find out more about Wibke Müller and the Brave Movement, please visit our website and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

New data released by the Brave Movement assesses G7 policies to tackle childhood sexual violence

• A new report ranking G7 nations on their efforts to protect children from abuse shows that global leaders are failing – with progress woefully inadequate to end childhood sexual violence
• The U.S.A, France, Japan and Italy are the worst performers, having made very limited progress to end sexual violence against children based on key indicators developed by survivors
• The report from the Brave Movement is the first ever comparative assessment of G7 policies to tackle the humanitarian crisis of childhood sexual violence – as survivors call on G7 leaders to table this issue at their Summit this weekend

June 24, 2022: Global advocacy group, the Brave Movement, has delivered a scathing assessment of global leaders’ lack of progress to end sexual violence against children.

In an emergency press conference ahead of the G7 Summit being held June 26-28, survivors and allies will release the details of the Ending Childhood Sexual Violence: #BeBrave G7 Scorecard analyzing the commitment of G7 nations to tackle child sexual violence, with damning results for France, Italy, Japan and the U.S.A. in particular. The newly released data proves that there is an appalling lack of progress by all G7 countries when it comes to ending childhood sexual violence in their own countries and across the world.

Key findings:

• G7 governments’ efforts are woefully inadequate to end childhood sexual violence, both domestically and globally
• The UK is the only G7 country to have made a meaningful investment to the End Violence Fund to tackle childhood sexual violence
• Canada has made the largest ODA investment to tackle childhood sexual violence out of all G7 countries but data shows that Official Development Assistance to end childhood violence decreased between 2018 and 2020 in real terms
• No G7 country has adequate protections in place to create a safe internet free of all online forms of sexual violence
• The Government of Germany is the only country that has successfully established a National Survivors Council
• No country has a comprehensive National Action Plan to address childhood sexual violence which adequately addresses prevention, healing, and justice

Wibke Müller, SAGE member and Co-Chair of the Brave Movement G7 Taskforce with Co-Chair, Matthias Katsch, said: “Without sufficient funding, prevention, healing and justice policies and programs are small-scale, non-existent, or failing to reach the populations in urgent need of action and services. The Brave Movement envisions a world in which children and adolescents grow up free from the threat of sexual violence. Bold, decisive action and investment is urgently needed to make this a reality now.”

Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand and Board Chair, PMNCH, said: “Childhood sexual violence is a global scourge, affecting at least one in ten girls globally. It undermines other investments in child health, education, gender equality, SRHR, and sustainable development. The “triple C” threat of COVID-19, climate change, and the rising number of conflicts around the world puts children, adolescents and women everywhere at high risk. Tracking and reporting progress, as the Brave Movement is doing, is essential for giving a voice to survivors, and ending all sexual violence moving forward.”

The Brave Movement is putting pressure on leaders by catalyzing action around the world in the run up to the G7, targeting landmarks with commemorative ‘#BeBrave Purple Plaques’ which highlight atrocities against children perpetrated by institutions within G7 nations and beyond.

Following the emergency press conference, survivors and allies will unveil a plaque honoring survivors of clergy abuse in Germany at the ‘Peterskirche’ (St Peter’s Church) in Munich. St Peter’s Church is the oldest recorded Roman Catholic parish church in Munich and the plaque will send a signal to leaders and institutions that survivors will not allow them to hide in plain sight any longer.

The church is one of the landmarks of the Bavarian capital Munich. At least 497 children and adolescents were abused in the Archdiocese of Munich-Freising over a period of almost 74 years (from 1945 to 2019). Most of them were young; 247 are male victims and 182 are female. Sixty percent of the survivors were between the ages of 8-14, abused by 235 perpetrators of abuse including 173 priests and nine deacons.

The German leadership has expressed its commitment to tackling childhood sexual violence and adding it to the G7 Summit agenda. As recently as June 2, Dr. Markus Richter, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community, Government of Germany said, “the German Government is putting this topic on the top of the list of its Presidency of the G7.”

Now, the Brave Movement is calling for tangible, bold and transformative action which goes beyond commitments. At the G7 Summit, the Brave Movement survivors and allies will deliver a petition signed by more than 70 thousand survivors and allies, asking G7 leaders to:

• Support the Brave Movement’s call for a global pledging event on November 18, 2022 and commit to an initial investment of at least US$1 billion per year for the established Global Partnership and Fund to End Violence Against Children
• Legislate to create a safe internet where children and adolescents are free from sexual violence
• Create a G7 Survivors Council to advise G7 governments on actions that they take to permanently end sexual violence against children

— ENDS —

NOTES TO EDITORS

G7 nation survivor statements:

Rosalia Rivera, is a Canadian survivor, consent educator and abuse prevention specialist, sexual literacy advocate and member of the Brave Movement: “The lifelong effects of child sexual abuse, like mental health crises, addiction, suicide, and chronic illnesses, create a world where individuals struggle to be thriving productive members of their communities. The economic impact of these long-term consequences is costing the world trillions of dollars in loss of, not only productivity but the overall quality of life. I hope that the leaders of the G7 can understand why investing in the solutions that the Brave Movement proposes, must be prioritized, now more than ever, as we face the biggest child sexual abuse epidemic in history.”

Ending Childhood Sexual Violence: #BeBrave G7 Scorecard

The 2022 Ending Childhood Sexual Violence: #BeBrave G7 Scorecard assesses each G7 country on how they are responding to childhood sexual violence at home and across the world. Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States are evaluated and ranked according to their progress on a strategic set of policy indicators necessary to moving forward action on ending this abhorrent global crisis.

• The indicators have been developed and informed by survivor advocates at the heart of the Brave Movement, who co-created demands such as the G7 Call to Action and the #BeBrave Global Call to Action.
• The Scorecard uses newly released data from the forthcoming 2022 Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) Out of the Shadows Index and the preliminary data from the forthcoming 2022 Counting Pennies 3 report developed by World Vision International and partners. These full reports will be released later in 2022.
• See the full Ending Childhood Sexual Violence: #BeBrave G7 Scorecard

The Brave Movement G7 Survivor’s Camp:

The Brave Movement will be present at the G7 Summit at its first “Survivors Camp” in Munich, Germany : For more information, contact: brave@eckiger-tisch.de

The Brave Newsroom:

Please contact press@bravemovement.org for:

• Interviews with survivor advocates and leaders
• Images and videos
• More information and to explore feature ideas

To find out more about the Brave Movement, please visit our website and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

The Brave Movement is shocked by the outcome of the Operation Linden report and condemns its failure to hold police officers to account for their misconduct and neglect.

Statement from the Brave Movement, a survivor-centered movement to end childhood sexual violence, on the outcome of Operation Linden:

The Brave Movement is shocked by the outcome of the Operation Linden report and condemns its failure to hold police officers to account for their misconduct and neglect.

The lifelong effects of childhood sexual abuse are devastating and the hundreds of girls who were subjected to the atrocities in Rotherham deserve better from UK authorities, institutions and leaders.

The Brave Movement stands with all survivors of the Rotherham sex grooming scandal.

The Brave Movement envisions a world in which children and adolescents grow up free from sexual violence.

With the right resources, cohesive mobilization and political will, childhood sexual violence is preventable.

This is why we are calling on G7 leaders to invest in prevention, healing and justice for survivors of childhood sexual abuse, holding perpetrators to account.

Founding member of the Brave Movement, Sarah Cooper, is a survivor of child sexual abuse through Facebook Messenger

Sarah Cooper Statement at Facebook Annual General Meeting, May 26, 2021

My name is Sarah Cooper and I am a member of the Survivor’s Council of ECPAT-USA, the leading anti-child trafficking organization in the United States.

I am here this morning to present resolution #6 asking the Board to report on the risk of increased sexual exploitation of children as the Company develops and offers additional privacy tools such as end-to-end encryption.

One year ago, I told my personal story publicly for the first time, of being groomed and trafficked by a predator that I met on Facebook. He seemed to be my age, but was actually decades older. I was groomed starting when I was 15 until just after my 18th birthday. It seemed innocent enough at the beginning. I received a Facebook friend request from someone I didn’t know.

We exchanged messages back and forth and after some time I sent photos to my predator, then more images to him. He groomed me for over two years. I thought he was a friend, someone I could trust. I didn’t really know anything was wrong until I met him in person, and saw his face, I finally realized he was closer to 40 than 18. Once I stepped into his car it was too late… When I was trafficked, given drugs, sold into sex slavery and held against my will at gunpoint… my instinct was to survive. I was lucky enough to have been rescued by a friend and thankfully survived my ordeal; some are not as lucky and never make it home.

For years, I was unaware of the dangers lurking on the internet, until I myself became a target. Today, as an advocate working to prevent child sex trafficking, I’ve come to understand that law enforcement in the field relies extensively on tips from Facebook to bring predators to justice. But what will happen when you go to end-to-end encryption on the Messenger app?

Facebook admitted that in going forward with implementing end-to-end encryption it will not be able to see child sexual abuse materials online, and the number of these reports will go down. Therefore, the number of children’s lives that could be saved or helped, will be less.

Facebook made nearly 21 million reports of child sexual abuse materials last year, and it has been estimated that 75% of these will become invisible once it applies end-to end encryption. Those reports are not just ‘reports’ – they are children. Children who are scared and hurt, children who need our help, children who believe Facebook would never hurt them. They are someone’s daughter, sister, grandchild and neighbor.

Facebook needs to immediately improve age verification, increase human monitoring of content, work in tighter cooperation with law enforcement – and it should absolutely delay expanding encryption on its platforms until it can protect children.

Privacy is important, but we need a balance of privacy and protection of the most vulnerable members of society, our children.

Facebook is a great platform, but it is not a safe platform. And with encryption it will become one of the world’s most dangerous ’playgrounds’ for children.

Thank you.

The movement is demanding action to end sexual violence against children and adolescents

The Brave Movement is led by fifteen adult survivors of childhood sexual violence and their allies, coming together from every continent to demand action and USD billions to scale prevention, healing and justice

Leaders of the Movement say: “Progress is slow: more urgent action is needed, now!”

London, 3 March 2021 – The Brave Movement launches today – a global advocacy movement led by fifteen adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse and allied organizations that aims to end all forms of sexual violence against children and adolescents.

The Brave Movement is taking collective action and seeking to achieve bold and transformational laws, programs and policies at both the local, national and regional level, and in global institutions within the multilateral system.

The Brave Movement is building an international advocacy movement of survivors and allies that will aim to mobilize billions for programs of prevention, healing and justice around the world; abolish Statutes of Limitation in every nation across the world; and develop a child-rights driven approach to online end-to-end encryption.

As a first step, the Brave Movement has mobilized survivor advocates and allies in advance of the G7 Summit in Germany in June 2022 with a call for a G7 survivors council, domestic resource mobilization in G7 nations and a $1bn commitment to scale prevention, healing and justice in low- and middle-income countries through a transformed End Violence Fund.

In addition, the movement has launched a Global Challenge to develop survivor-centered national calls to action leading up to a Global Survivors Action Summit on 27 April 2022 to endorse a global call to action to end childhoodsexual violence.

Catalyzed by Together for Girls with support from the Oak Foundation, The Movement launches at a pivotal moment as the Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) look to make progress towards an equitable world.

THE SCALE AND SCOPE OF THE CHALLENGE

• From 2019 to 2020 there was a 100% increase in reports from the public of online sexual exploitation
• 1 in 5 women report having been sexually abused as a child, one in ten girls under the age of 20 have experienced sexual violence and every year 12 million girls are married before their 18th birthday
• 1 in 10 men report having been sexually abused as children
• Based on data from over 20 countries, anywhere from 8% to 24% of boys experience some form of sexual violence before the age of 18
• The global economic impacts and costs resulting from the consequences of physical, psychological and sexual violence against children and adolescents can be as high as $7 trillion

Dr Daniela Ligiero, survivor and a leader in the Brave Movement said: “Childhood sexual violence is a silent global scourge. Children are exposed to sexual violence in multiple forms: child sexual abuse, incest, child sexual exploitation, rape, child marriage, sexual violence in dating relationships, and sexual violence among peers. Child marriage affects millions of girls around the world, and sexual violence and abuse occurs in families, communities, schools, sports programs, places of worship, and online. Children and adolescents of every age, race, ethnicity, caste, religion, sexual orientation, and gender identity are impacted. Progress is slow: more urgent action is needed, now!”

Dr Paul Zeitz, survivor and a leader in the Brave Movement explained why survivors and allies are crucial to the Movement: “Survivors of childhood sexual violence are pivotal to decision making for prevention, healing and justice, as our lived experience must inform all policy decisions. As survivor advocates and allies, we demand prevention to protect this and every generation to come; healing for survivors and their families; and justice for wrongdoers, the complicit, and the victimized. With the right resources, cohesive mobilization and political will, childhood sexual violence abuse can become a thing of the past.”

Rosalia Rivera, survivor and leader in the Brave Movement said: “The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed children everywhere to an even greater risk of violence while reducing their ability to access any support. The Brave Movement will push for stronger political will, strengthen data and evidence, and better inform policy, strategy and investments across the world. We need to work with one another to shift attitudes, change behaviors, and influence corporations and governments.”

Tabitha Mpamira, survivor and leader in the Brave Movement said: “Breaking the silence is on all of us and should not be a burden placed solely on survivors. As allies, advocates, practitioners, parents, friends, community members, faith leaders, policymakers, decision-makers and researchers, we must all act with urgency, and strengthen our movement to do more for children.”

Join the Brave Movement:

https://www.bravemovement.org/

@bebraveglobal

The Brave Movement leadership includes SAGE: Survivor Advocates Globally Empowered and a Global Steering Group (GSG).

SAGE Members:

• Brisa De Ángulo, Bolivia
• Dr Daniela Ligiero, USA, Brazil
• ElsaMarie D’Silva, India
• Florence Keya, Kenya
• Janet Aguti, Uganda
• Dr Matthew McVarish, UK
• Miguel Hurtado, Spain
• Dr Paul Zeitz, USA
• Robert Shilling, USA
• Rosalia Rivera, El Salvador, Canada, SAGE Chair
• Professor S Caroline Taylor, AM, Australia, SAGE Vice-Chair
• Sarah Cooper, USA
• Suresh Chhetry, Nepal
• Tabitha Mpamira, Rwanda, Uganda, USA
• Wibke Muller, Germany

Global Steering Group (GSG) :

• The Army of Survivors
  • Julie Ann Rivers-Cochran, MSW
• End Violence Lab at the University of Edinburgh
  • Dr Catherine Maternowska
• Girls Not Brides
  • Dr. Faith Mwangi-Powell
• Together for Girls
  • Daniela Ligiero, GSG Chair
  • Sandie Taylor, GSG Vice-Chair for Finance and Administration
• WeProtect Global Alliance
  • Iain Drennan, GSG Principal Vice-Chair
• World Vision International
  • Bill Forbes
• Global Survivors Advocacy Group (SAGE) representatives to the GSG
  • Rosalia Rivera
  • Professor S Caroline Taylor
  • Brisa De Angulo, Esq.
  • Sarah Cooper
  • Florence Keya

• Movement Action Team
  • Dr. Kathleen Cravero, GSG Community Manager
  • Dr. Paul Zeitz, Movement Executive Coordinator (interim)

NOTES TO EDITORS

ABOUT THE BRAVE MOVEMENT

The Brave Movement is a new powerful and global survivor-centered and all allies advocacy movement to end sexual violence against children. Supported by a $10M grant from the Oak Foundation to Together for Girls, this movement is gearing up to become a powerful global force for change.

CONTACT THE BRAVE NEWSROOM

If you are a journalist or media outlet seeking further information about the Brave Movement, please contact our Brave Newsroom: press@bravemovement.org

Our Brave Newsroom supports the movement by disseminating survivor calls for action, recruiting advocates, and galvanizing supporters all over the world to end childhood sexual violence.

Hear from the Brave Movement’s Interim Executive Coordinator

By Dr. Paul Zeitz, the Brave Movement’s Interim Executive Coordinator

WASHINGTON, DC, April 25, 2022 – Societies around the globe are facing a silent scourge affecting millions of our children and adolescents around the globe.

But it’s not the COVID-19 pandemic that is posing this alarming threat but sexual violence. Children are facing child sexual abuse, intrafamilial sexual violence, child sexual exploitation, rape, child marriage, sexual violence in dating relationships and sexual violence among peers, both in person and online.

I, myself, am the survivor of childhood sexual violence perpetrated at the hands of my father. That’s why I’m honored to help lead the newly inaugurated Brave Movement made up of fifteen adult survivors of childhood sexual violence and out allies worldwide.

As a doctor trained in preventative medicine, I worked over the past two decades on the AIDS crisis, when the global community came together in solidarity to provide the technical expertise, political will and catalytic funds to tackle this deadly disease.

We at the Brave Movement believe that a similar global effort is needed to address this epidemic of violence against children and adolescents in every nation around the globe. We will not be silent anymore. We are raising our voices and coming together in a mass, worldwide movement to demand collective action from our global leaders to enact policies and laws that protect our children today and for generations to come.

And the statistics are terrifying. A recent survey by Together for Girls revealed that 120 million girls under the age of 20 have experienced sexual violence. One in 5 women and 1 in 10 men report having been sexually abused as children. And COVID has exposed children everywhere to an even greater risk of violence while reducing their ability to access any support.

Sexual violence against children and adolescents is unacceptable, criminal and preventable. Violence undermines every other investment in children from health to education to sustainable development.

Next week on Wednesday, April 27, we and our allies will host the Brave Movement Global Survivors Action Summit and invite you to join the movement and register to attend the summit, which takes place in a climate of even greater urgency given the dire situation in Ukraine where children and adolescents are at increased risk of sexual violence.

Survivor leaders from all over the world will launch our #BeBrave Call to Action and a G7 global petition, informed by national survivor movements in over 20 countries. We are calling on all G7 leaders to be brave and take bold action to end childhood sexual violence when they meet in June.

Survivors are calling on leaders at the G7 Summit in Germany to:

• Invest billions to scale up prevention, healing, and justice programs in lower income countries
• Commit to legislate on child-rights-driven approach to online end-to-end digital encryption
• Establish a G7 Survivors Council to advise the G7
• Develop and implement national action plans and strategies to end childhood sexual violence

As the world navigates out of the COVID-19 pandemic, the opportunity to reimagine how countries protect our children against sexual violence is more vital – and more possible – than ever. The global community must use this unique opportunity to make a dramatic and historic push to prioritize the safety of all children and adolescents against this public health crisis.

A lot of hard work has already begun to secure political commitments and mobilize in-country networks. The missing ingredient is sustained focus and reliable financing to enable committed national leaders and allies to finally stop this scourge of sexual violence.

We know what it takes to protect children and adolescents from sexual violence. The infrastructure and political will is already in place in many countries whose leaders are passionate about challenging the status quo. The Brave Movement and our allies are eager to collaborate and create a world in which all children can grow up in safe, secure and nurturing environments.

The time is now to act! Sexual violence is the greatest silent pandemic of our time. But survivors refuse to remain in the shadows anymore, and we and all our allies will raise our voices to demand real results. The Brave Movement is committed to mobilizing our collective energy to catalyze bold and transformational global action to protect future generations of children and adolescents everywhere.

###

Dr. Paul Zeitz is a physician, epidemiologist and award-winning advocate for global justice and human rights for 35 years. As a survivor of sexual violence at the hands of his father, he is honored to serve as a member of SAGE: Survivor Advocates Globally Empowered, and as the Brave Movement Executive Coordinator. He is a co-founder of Keep Kids Safe, a US-based movement. Previously, he founded and served as the Executive Director of the Global AIDS Alliance that helped generate the political will to launch and sustain PEPFAR and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria.

Join the Brave Movement. Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter

GLOBAL CHALLENGE is an opportunity for survivors, survivor networks and allies to develop locally-determined National Calls to Action to end childhood sexual violence from countries around the world

The Brave Movement will launch a Global Call to Action, a G7 Call to Action, and National Calls to Action at their Global Survivors Action Summit on April 27 2022

DOWNLOAD THIS PRESS RELEASE AS A PDF [ENGLISH]

London March 10 2022

The global advocacy Brave Movement has launched a Global Challenge inviting survivors and allies to develop survivor-centered National Calls to Action based on locally determined priorities. Additionally, a Global Call to Action aiming to end childhood sexual violence will be endorsed at a Global Survivors Action Summit on April 27 2022.

Each National Call to Action will make demands to Government and other country-specific decision-makers on how they can take bold action to end childhood sexual violence.

The Brave Movement is led by fifteen adult survivors of childhood sexual violence and their allies, coming together from every continent to demand action and mobilize domestic financing to scale prevention, healing and justice programs.

The Brave Movement is taking collective action and seeking to achieve bold and transformational laws, programs and policies at the local, national and regional level, and in global institutions within the multilateral system.

The Brave Movement is building an international advocacy movement of survivors and allies that aims to mobilize billions for programs of prevention, healing and justice around the world; abolish Statutes of Limitation in every nation across the world; and develop a child-rights driven approach to online end-to-end encryption.

THE SCALE AND SCOPE OF THE CHALLENGE

• From 2019 to 2020 there was a 100% increase in reports from the public of online sexual exploitation
• 1 in 5 women report having been sexually abused as a child, one in ten girls under the age of 20 have experienced sexual violence and every year 12 million girls are married before their 18th birthday
• 1 in 10 men report having been sexually abused as children
• Based on data from over 20 countries, anywhere from 8% to 24% of boys experience some form of sexual violence before the age of 18
• The global economic impacts and costs resulting from the consequences of physical, psychological and sexual violence against children and adolescents can be as high as $7 trillion

TAKING PART IN THE GLOBAL CHALLENGE – DEVELOPING YOUR NATIONAL CALL TO ACTION

Survivor-centered organizations are asked to reach out to networks, individuals, survivors and allies develop policy proposals for government which will end childhood sexual violence in your country. National Calls to Action should represent and reflect the range of perspectives and experiences of childhood sexual violence and ensure it is survivor-centered. National Calls to Action should be submitted on the Brave Movement website by April 15 2022.

Full details of how to develop and submit a National Call to Action are available on the Brave Movement Action Hub: https://www.bravemovement.org/…

The Brave Movement will showcase National Calls to Action at the Global Survivors Action Summit (virtual) on April 27 2022 and on the Brave Movement Action Hub website.

Dr Daniela Ligiero, survivor and a leader in the Brave Movement said: “Global efforts for prevention, healing, and justice must be informed by survivor-centred national demands from organizations, networks and individuals, survivors and allies, to reflect and represent the range of experiences of childhood sexual violence.”

Dr Paul Zeitz, survivor and a leader in the Brave Movement explained why survivors and allies are crucial to the Movement: “Survivors of childhood sexual violence are pivotal to decision making for prevention, healing and justice, as our personal lived experience must inform all policy decisions. We believe it is imperative that “National Calls to Action” are survivor-centered, locally-led, and inclusive of all allies. We welcome as many countries as possible to join the Global Challenge, as we join forces in building our global movement. We are brave so children are safe.”

Rosalia Rivera, survivor and leader in the Brave Movement said: “The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed children everywhere to an even greater risk of violence while reducing their ability to access any support. The Brave Movement will push for stronger political will, strengthen data and evidence, and better inform policy, strategy and investments across the world. This can only be done with informed national demands which allow us to work with one another to shift attitudes, change behaviors, and influence corporations and governments.”

Tabitha Mpamira, survivor and leader in the Brave Movement said: “Breaking the silence is on all of us and should not be a burden placed solely on survivors. As allies, advocates, practitioners, parents, friends, community members, faith leaders, policymakers, decision-makers and researchers, we must all act with urgency, and strengthen our movement to do more for children. The Global Challenge is one of the first crucial steps we can take together in movement building and agenda setting. We must take direct, practical actions together to drive change.”

Join the Brave Movement:

https://www.bravemovement.org/

@bebraveglobal

The Brave Movement leadership includes SAGE: Survivor Advocates Globally Empowered, and a Global Steering Group (GSG).

SAGE Members:

• Brisa De Ángulo, Bolivia
• Dr. Daniela Ligiero, USA, Brazil
• ElsaMarie D’Silva, India
• Florence Keya, Kenya
• Janet Aguti, Uganda
• Dr. Matthew McVarish, UK
• Miguel Hurtado, Spain
• Dr. Paul Zeitz, USA
• Robert Shilling, USA
• Rosalia Rivera, El Salvador, Canada, SAGE Chair
• Professor S Caroline Taylor, AM, Australia, SAGE Vice-Chair
• Sarah Cooper, USA
• Suresh Chhetry, NepalTabitha Mpamira, Rwanda, Uganda, USA
• Wibke Muller, Germany

Global Steering Group (GSG):

• The Army of Survivors
  • Julie Ann Rivers-Cochran, MSW

• End Violence Lab at the University of Edinburgh
  • Dr. Catherine Maternowska

• Girls Not Brides
  • Dr. Faith Mwangi-Powell

• Together for Girls
  • Dr. Daniela Ligiero, GSG Chair
  • Sandie Taylor, GSG Vice-Chair for Finance and Administration

• WeProtect Global Alliance
  • Iain Drennan, GSG Principal Vice-Chair

• World Vision International
  • Bill Forbes

• Global Survivors Advocacy Group (SAGE) representatives to the GSG o
  • Rosalia Rivera
  • Professor S Caroline Taylor
  • Brisa De Angulo, Esq.
  • Sarah Cooper
  • Florence Keya

• Movement Action Team
  • Dr. Kathleen Cravero, GSG Community Manager
  • Dr. Paul Zeitz, Movement Executive Coordinator (interim)

NOTES TO EDITORS

ABOUT THE BRAVE MOVEMENT

The Brave Movement is a new powerful and global survivor-centered movement that welcomes all allies in our mission to end childhood sexual violence. Supported by a $10M grant from the Oak Foundation to Together for Girls, this movement is gearing up to become a powerful global force for change.

CONTACT THE BRAVE NEWSROOM

If you are a journalist or media outlet seeking further information about the Brave Movement, please contact our Brave Newsroom: press@bravemovement.org

Our Brave Newsroom supports the movement by disseminating survivor calls for action, recruiting advocates, and galvanizing supporters all over the world to end childhood sexual violence.

DOWNLOAD THIS PRESS RELEASE AS A PDF [ENGLISH]