photo by Charlotte Raymond
Final Words
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I think the world has reached a cumulative ‘I’ve had enough’ moment [when it comes to tolerating sexual violence]. Interpersonal violence has gone undiscussed and undisclosed for so long. It is time to make the invisible visible. This isn’t a developed versus undeveloped country problem. This is a universal problem. Children have enormous capacity and resilience. But there are certain things children should never need to protect themselves None of this from. An idea that infuses our work all of this is is that none of this is inevitable; all of it is preventable. Too often people think things like, ‘Women are raped in India, that’s just the way it is, oh well, on we go.’ That’s not right. We have to challenge social norms like these. Doing so depends a lot on local leaders, the faith-based communities and people like sports stars and other role models who influence what
is considered ‘normal.’ Now that we are talking publicly about sexual violence against children, I am optimistic that we can engage a wider group of changemakers. We must keep this conversation going about how best to keep children safe, focusing on a range of tactics from empowering them to protect themselves to establishing legal frameworks and resources [to protect them]. The three things we need to accelerate is inevitable; progress are: 1) a garnering of huge preventable. political will around this issue, 2) the understanding that the cost of inaction is extreme and 3) empowered youth—young people who are able to live their lives free from violence. It may sound Pollyannaish but stopping violence against children is doable. The resources are there and the science is there. The key is changing people’s mindsets so that they no longer accept that this is just the way it is.
—Susan Bissell, Chief of Child Protection, Programme Division, UNICEF and Together for Girls Leadership Council Member 78 Safe. Issue I
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