An important aspect of protecting children’s rights is to pay attention to gender-specific vulnerabilities of girls and boys, from childhood throughout adolescence. Forms of violence that are being perpetrated against children and adolescents include sexual abuse and exploitation, gender-based violence in emergencies, sexual and gender-based violence in education, child marriage, children’s access to justice, peacebuilding and female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) (Unicef, 2017). The following papers look into conceptual frameworks, practices and theories of change within the field of children and gender-based violence, as well as how child marriage, core development and human rights issue, hinders the achievement of various SDGs.
Children and Gender-based Violence: An overview of existing conceptual frameworks
Save the Children, 2007
Talking about child rights, in general, is not enough to safeguard each group of this population, and to make them visible. Gender-specific vulnerabilities or obstacles to achieving these rights for girls and boys must also be identified. To address the global prevalence of violence, the United Nations is preparing a global study in which Save the Children Alliance and the Gender Task Group will have an opportunity to contribute. This is the background within which this paper explores existing conceptual frameworks to understand gender-based violence against children.
Caring for Child Survivors of Sexual Abuse Guidelines for health and psychosocial service providers in humanitarian settings
UNICEF and International Rescue Committee 2012
This guideline was developed to respond to the gap in global guidance for health and psychosocial staff providing care and treatment to child survivors of sexual abuse in a humanitarian setting. The CCS Guidelines are based on global research and evidenced-based field practice, and bring a much-needed fresh and practical approach to helping child survivors, and their families, recover and heal from the oftentimes devastating impacts of sexual abuse.
Caring for child survivors of sexual abuse Training Users Guide
UNICEF and International Rescue Committee 2015
In addition to the Caring for Child Survivor Guidelines, training materials have been developed to support staff in carrying out training on the content of the guidelines. The training materials are broken down by topical modules that follow the outline of the CCS Guidelines. Each module includes a PowerPoint presentation and a Facilitators’ Guide outlining the training content, methodology and materials required to deliver the module. Supplementary handouts are provided in modules when relevant. The training package also includes a sample agenda, evaluation tools (e.g. pre/post tests and a workshop evaluation), and a Users’ Guide which summarizes how the training materials should be used.
SGBV Prevention and Response
UNHCR, 2016
The Training Package is designed to help facilitators deliver introductory, interactive training on the prevention of and response to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). Facilitators should have field-experience working on SGBV prevention and response, mainstreaming gender equality, working with communities affected by displacement, and be familiar with UNHCR’s approach to addressing SGBV.
MODULE 9: CHILDREN AND SGBV In this training session participants explore the types of SGBV inflicted upon children, the causes and contributing factors, and the specific needs of child survivors. The module seeks to make participants aware of the specific considerations regarding children and SGBV and, based on these, explore steps UNHCR can take to ensure SGBV response programmes are inclusive of boys and girls of different ages.
Preventing and Responding to Violence Against Children and Adolescents: Theory of Change 2017
Unicef, 2017
This document builds on many previous theories of change and results from frameworks related to violence against girls, boys and adolescents. These include UNICEF’s past strategic plans and results frameworks for specific types or dimensions of violence, such as sexual abuse and exploitation of children, gender-based violence in emergencies, sexual and gender-based violence in education, child marriage, children’s access to justice, peacebuilding and female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). Given the broad scope of this theory of change, it provides a concise overview rather than a comprehensive review of evidence about how to prevent and respond to violence against girls and boys. However, it benefits from many recent international efforts to synthesize what is known about approaches that are effective or at least promising, including reviews by UNICEF, partner agencies, governments and academic researchers.
How ending child marriage is critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals
Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership To End Child Marriage, 2017
A lack of attention to child marriage undermined the achievement of six of the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) between 2000 to 2015. Since then, the international community has learned a lot. We have learned that child marriage is a core development and human rights issue, which hinders the achievement of many other development goals. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – which define global development priorities between now and 2030 – include target 5.3, ‘Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilations’ (under Goal 5 ‘Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls).