Abigail speaking out at the HRC
Photo credit: UN PHOTO / Jean-Marc Ferré

11 March 2010: Abigail, a 17-year-old representative of a Plan youth club in Ghana, brought the children’s voices to the 13th session of the Human Rights Council (HRC) by co-drafting and reading Plan’s oral statement on sexual violence in schools to the panel.

Watch a webcast of Abigail’s address to the HRC (3.24 mins)

Speaking on the Annual day of the rights of the Child, Abigail gave examples of the advocacy work carried out by her own youth club in Ghana through peer education and community sensitisation programmes. In her conclusions, she highlighted the importance of promoting the participation of children in combating sexual violence and reminded the governments that action against violence is the best protection that children can have.

Tackling sexual violence

The annual meeting was divided into 2 high level panel discussions with the morning discussion concentrating on manifestations of sexual violence and the afternoon session on prevention and responses against sexual violence against children.
 
As a part of the non-governmental organisation (NGO) group in Geneva, Plan was actively involved in the preparations leading up to the Annual day on the rights of the Child, contributing both to the drafting of the agenda as well as the draft resolution on the fight against sexual violence against children.

Plan presentation

A Plan representative was among the official high level panel of experts. Eliana Restrepo, Deputy Director of Plan’s office in Colombia, focused her presentation on the importance of cross-sector strategies to address sexual violence against children. With the presentation, Plan reminded the governments about the need of a holistic and interdependent approach to address the problem of child sexual abuse and the responsibility of everyone to participate in the protection of children.

Plan also invited the governments and other key actors to work on the building of protective cultures, which support the development of children to protect themselves, as well as their capacity to exercise their rights as citizens.   

Watch a webcast of Eliana Restrepo’s presentation in English and Spanish (8.58 mins)

Read Plan’s written statement to the HRC based on information from Plan’s global Learn Without Fear campaign to end violence in schools.

Side event

Plan Geneva is organising and leading an important side event at the HRC on sexual violence at homes and in schools. The event is co-sponsored by the Norwegian Ministry of foreign affairs and several NGOs.

Find out more about Plan's work at the HRC.