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Brave movement applauds adoption of Common African Position on Ending Violence Against Children

Brave Movement

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Brave Movement team at Arise Africa Conference 2026
Brave Movement team at Arise Africa Conference 2026

NAIROBI (July 31, 2026) — The survivor-led Brave Movement applauded the adoption today of a Common African Position on ending childhood violence.

Kanga Rasi, Deputy Director, Campaigns & Advocacy, Brave Movement, says:

“The Common Position on Ending Violence Against Children and the Model Law on Child Online Protection mark a major step forward in Africa’s collective commitment to protecting every child from violence, both offline and online. These landmark instruments provide a strong continental policy foundation to support legal reform, strengthen child protection systems, and accelerate action across Member States.

Now is the time to turn policy into practice. African leaders have an opportunity to demonstrate real commitment to protecting children by making concrete, funded pledges at the 2nd Ending Violence Against Children Ministerial meeting this November in Manila. The Brave Movement, alongside fellow advocates for ending violence against children, is calling on governments across the continent to seize this moment.”

Notes to editors:

More than one in four girls and nearly one in four boys in sub-Saharan Africa experience in-person sexual violence before their 18th birthday (Source: Fang et al. 2026).

Globally, nearly 9% of girls and 8% of boys experience online sexual exploitation and abuse (Source: Frye et al. 2025). Some 40% of youth aged between 15-24 years in Africa can access the internet, and that figure is expanding rapidly (Source: African Union).

The newly adopted Common African Position includes protections for in-person and online violence.

Recent data benchmarking national governments' efforts to prevent and respond to sexual violence against children and adolescents is available in the 2026 Out of the Shadows Index (https://outoftheshadows.global/en). The Index is researched and developed by Economist Impact, with advocacy and engagement efforts led by Together for Girls (TfG).

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Christy Delafield, Senior Director of Communications
+1 202-374-5097
[email protected]

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