Child protection
Protecting children and young people from abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence is central to everything we do.
In 2012, Plan provided child protection training for 149,686 community members and 35,625 staff of partner organisations across the world.
Many children experience abuse every day from people they know and trust and it threatens their survival, development and participation in society.
Global problem
Plan was actively involved in the 2006 United Nations Study on Violence Against Children, which estimates that worldwide:
- 40,000,000 children are abused each year
- 150,000,000 girls and 73,000,000 boys experience sexual violence
- 1,800,000 children are involved in commercial sexual exploitation and child abuse images
- 1,200,000 children are victims of trafficking.
Long-term solutions
Plan does more than introduce short-term fixes for these problems. We raise awareness of children’s right to protection and work closely with families and communities.
We also deliver targeted programmes to address specific protection issues - such as child trafficking, corporal punishment in schools, female genital cutting and child marriage.
At local, national and international level we work to influence policies and make sure there is an adequate legal framework to protect children.
Campaigns
Learn Without Fear
Support Plan's global campaign to end violence in schools, targeting corporal punishment, sexual violence and bullying. Find out more about our Learn Without Fear campaign »
Because I am a Girl
Join Plan's campaign to improve girls' lives. Girls face the double discrimination of their gender and age, and extremely high levels of violence, abuse, and harassment. Join the Because I am a Girl campaign »
Count Every Child
See how Plan is helping millions of children to get an official identity - giving them greater protection against child trafficking, child marriage and child labour. Find out more about our Count Every Child campaign »
Case studies
13 and a bride
Meet Mariama, 13, who has just discovered she is about to join the 40% of girls in Niger who marry before they are 15.
Escaping life on the streets
See the difference Plan-funded drop-in centres are making to thousands of children living on the streets of Bangladesh this International Street Children Day.
Millions of 'invisible children' get access to vital services
More than 40,000,000 people across 32 countries, most of them children, now have access to vital health and education services, thanks to Plan's Universal Birth Registration campaign.