19 November-World Day for Prevention of Abuse and Violence against Children
In 2011, the World Day was extended into the annual campaign "19 Days of Activism for prevention of abuse and violence against children and youth 1-19 november". To know more about the 2012 Call to Action campaign, please visit our new website
Why a World Day?
Together, let us create a culture of prevention
Child abuse, especially sexual aitebuse, is a universal and alarming problem and increased attention and efficient protection skills and prevention measures are necessary at family-, local-, national- and international level.
After a long tradition of silence, sexual child abuse is being more and more denounced and becoming a public and political topic.
Alerting Governments and civil society organizations to play a more active role in the promotion of and respect for the rights of the child (article 19 and 34* of the Convention on the Rights of the Child), and contribute to the prevention of child abuse, WWSF launched in 2000 the World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse, a Day to be commemorated every 19 November in synergy with the anniversary of the International Day for the rights of the child (20 November), which has as its objective to be a rallying point around the issue of child abuse and the need for urgent effective prevention programs.
To make the Day a global call for action, WWSF launched in 2001 an international NGO coalition that marks the World Day with relevant events and activities to focus on and increase prevention education.
* Art. 19 - States Parties shall take all appropriate legislative, administrative, social and educational measures to protect the child from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse, while in the care of parent(s), legal guardian(s) or any other person who has the care of the child.
* ART. 34 - States Parties undertake to protect the child from all forms of sexual exploitation and sexual abuse. For these purposes, States Parties shall in particular take all appropriate national, bilateral and multilateral measures to prevent:
(a) the inducement or coercion of a child to engage in any unlawful sexual activity;
(b) the exploitative use of children in prostitution or other unlawful sexual practices;
(c) the exploitative use of children in pornographic performances and materials.
Why a NGO Coalition to mark World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse?
The main purpose of the NGO coalition is to contribute to the creation of a culture of prevention of abuse and violence against children. This global alliance works to raise awareness, mobilise public opinion and action, and disseminates prevention programs.
To join the coalition, members commit to mark the Day with local and national events and activities; mention the Day in their publications and on their web sites; distribute posters, educational programs and information; create partnerships with local organisations working for the promotion and protection of the rights of the child, alert the press and radio stations, inform local authorities of the existence of the Day and planned activities, and lobby governments for official proclamation of the Day as a National Day.
In 2009, the international NGO coalition united more than 700 organizations in 125 countries that commemorated the Day with either local or national activities and events. The different activities are compiled in a global impact report, published on our website. To view the report, click here.
We encourage international and national organizations to join and support the coalition. There is no membership fee to join.