2021 Annual Report End Violence Partnership

Around the world, 1 out of 2 children experience violence every year. It takes place in every country and community.

At the same time the world is grappling with the simultaneous crises of COVID-19, climate change, multiple conflicts, and the highest rates of inflation in decades. Many of these crises are interrelated, all of them put children at greater risk of violence, abuse and exploitation.

The change we seek for children is not only necessary, it is possible and it is a smart investment to make. The case for action is compelling.

The End Violence Partnership is committed to working with and through partners to accelerate much needed progress.

This is the only global partnership and the largest fund dedicated solely to ending all forms of violence against children – at home, at school, online and in communities. And we do this through collective advocacy, action, and investment.

Our 2021 Annual Report showcases how progress happened through this critical year.

Annual Report 2021

Key successes

Through 2021, the End Violence Partnership has grown and diversified – more advocacy, more investments, and more champions all came together to end violence against children and advance the achievement of the 2030 Agenda. And, while the breadth and depth of work has expanded, it has also become more aligned. Work to keep children safe across settings and countries came together into one ambitious yet focused strategy and a stronger and more united movement.

As of the end of 2021, the Partnership has:

Convened – 700 organisations are now part of the End Violence Partnership, including 37 Pathfinding countries.
Invested – more than US$62 million in projects with impact in over 70 countries through the End Violence Fund.
Advocated – for legislative reforms, stronger policy and improved implementation through evidence-based policy proposals, high-level advocacy, show-casing solutions and convening cross-sectoral dialogues.

Investing for Impact

Together to #ENDviolence

The Together to #ENDviolence global campaign and Solutions Summit Series works to raise awareness, share solutions, and accelerate action and investment to end violence against children.

Partners aligned around six policy proposals backed by evidence, research and experience of what really works to end violence against children.

To support the policy proposals, a Leaders’ Statement was signed by over 50 international leaders and endorsed by 289 organisations, and a Children’s Manifesto was developed by child networks, which speaks on behalf of children everywhere.

The 77 affiliate events hosted via the campaign convened actors from across sectors and countries – they prioritised the issue of ending violence against children globally for post-COVID-19 policy and planning, showcased solutions and secured new political and funding commitments.

Pathfinding

The End Violence Partnership’s Pathfinding initiative raises awareness, stimulates leadership commitment, galvanises action, and aims to establish a standard of national violence prevention throughout the world.

In 2021, five new Pathfinding countries – Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Jordan and Papua New Guinea – joined the End Violence Partnership, bringing the number of Pathfinders to 37.

21 countries convened government-led national policy dialogues to further their commitment to comprehensive action to end all forms of violence against children.

Four existing Pathfinding countries launched their National Action Plans: Colombia, Finland, Honduras and Japan.

Safe at Home and in Communities

End Violence has invested in new efforts to help parents and caregivers to adopt positive parenting strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

End Violence founded the Global Initiative to Support Parents – an inter-agency vision that aims to establish a collective action framework to increase investment in evidence-based parent support programmes across the globe.

Positive parenting programmes were scaled up in Uganda and Kenya to keep children safe during COVID-19.

Safe Online

End Violence’s Safe Online initiative is placing online child safety at the heart of key policy debates and investing in technology solutions and national capacities to make the internet safe for children.

G7 Governments committed to accelerate action and increase investments to tackle child sexual exploitation and abuse, highlighting the End Violence Partnership as key to maximising collective impact to make the internet safe for children.

Launched new grant opportunities totalling US$21 million to organisations working to tackle online child sexual exploitation and abuse through technology solutions, building national capacity and scaling up evidence.

The Tech Coalition and Safe Online teamed up to establish a Tech Coalition Safe Online Research Fund awarding grants to organisations conducting innovative research that will inform product and policy development to tackle online child sexual exploitation and abuse.

End Violence and partners jointly issued a statement calling on all countries to implement the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child’s General Comment 25 – a landmark step toward ensuring children’s rights in the digital environment.

End Corporal Punishment

End Violence is making prohibition of corporal punishment a priority on the global agenda and assisting governments to implement corporal punishment prohibition.

Over 600 organisations and individuals endorsed the #EndCorporalPunishment Call to Action. This statement supports universal prohibition of corporal punishment by calling for urgent national action.

23 million more children are now legally protected from corporal punishment with Colombia and the Republic of Korea introducing new laws banning corporal punishment in 2021.

The End Violence Partnership celebrated the first International Day to #EndCorporalPunishment in April 2021 with a high-level conference co-sponsored by the Governments of France, Japan and Tunisia. End Violence ran a social media campaign to amplify the call to #EndCorporalPunishment, involving 79 countries and reaching 24 million people.

Safe to Learn

End Violence and the Safe to Learn coalition advocate for violence prevention to be embedded in education systems and help countries create and sustain the conditions for safe learning for all children.

14 Safe to Learn partners endorsed a new three-year strategy which leverages the diverse expertise of the partners.

Safe to Learn developed the Ending Violence in Schools: An Investment Case with the World Bank – a cost-benefit analysis demonstrating how violence in and around schools negatively impacts educational outcomes, with a global estimate of US$11 trillion in lost lifetime earnings.

The End Violence Fund supported five Safe to Learn projects across Nepal and Uganda to strengthen education systems by incorporating violence prevention and response policies and mechanisms.

Country Engagement Case Studies

How Six Countries Are Creating Safe, Secure and Nurturing Environments For Children

It is often at the national level that planning, policies and programmes have a real, tangible and direct impact on the lives of children. And each country is its own context, facing its own unique challenges and opportunities to end violence against children. Learn more about how six countries gained traction in keeping children safe at home, at school and online in 2021, with support from the End Violence Partnership and Fund.

Our Partners

The End Violence Partnership catalyses and supports a global community united by a shared vision of a world where every child grows up in a safe, secure and nurturing environment. The Partnership works with and through over 700 diverse organisations working across levels – delivering grassroots impact through to global advocacy initiatives. Our partners operate in nearly every country and bring a wide range of perspectives, expertise, networks, and ideas to the table.

Explore 26 case studies from our diverse partners in the Annual Report.

Donors

None of the successes and the progress for children through this challenging year would be possible without our donors, partners and governing body members. We thank you all for the continued support, collaboration and dedicated efforts to end violence against children through this critical time.