A Study on Violence Against Girls
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A Study on Violence against Girls Report on the International Girl Child Conference 9–10 March 2009 The Hague, the Netherlands A joint publication of the UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre and the Government of the Netherlands 1 A Study on Violence Against Girls Report on the International Girl Child Conference 9–10 March 2009 The Hague, the Netherlands This publication was jointly developed by the UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre and the Government of the Netherlands. It includes a background document prepared by the UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre (IRC), and summarizes the discussions and outcomes of the International Conference on Violence against the Girl Child held in The Hague from9 –10 March 2009. The conference addressed gaps in knowledge, research and responses to violence against girls in the home and family, and was a follow-up to the United Nations Secretary-General’s Study on Violence against Children. Requests for permission to reproduce or translate UNICEF IRC publications should be addressed to: Communication and Partnership Unit, UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre, [email protected]. To download this report and any corrigenda issued subsequent to printing, or to access the most up-to-date publications files, please go to the publications pages on our website, at <www.unicef-irc.org/publications/>. If you would like to keep abreast of publications and other products, please join us at <www.unicef-irc.org/ web_community.html>. Cover design: VierVier, the Netherlands Inside design and layout: Gerber Creative, Denmark Printed by: Tipolito Duemila Group SRL, Florence, Italy © The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), June 2009 ISBN: 978-88-89129-89-0 Correspondence should be addressed to: UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre Piazza SS. Annunziata, 12 50122 Florence, Italy Tel: (39) 055 20 330 Fax: (39) 055 2033 220 [email protected] www.unicef-irc.org Acknowledgements The UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre provided The International Girl Child Conference and this Outcome academic support and developed the conference Document have been realized with the support of many background document. A Study on Violence against organizations, experts, advisers and volunteers. We would Girls, Report on the International Girl Child Conference, therefore like to express our gratitude to everyone who 9–10 March 2009, The Hague, the Netherlands, was made this conference and its outcomes possible. produced by Karin Heissler and overseen by Susan Bissell and Lena Karlsson, under the overall A special acknowledgement goes to Professor guidance of Marta Santos Pais, UNICEF IRC Director. Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro who, by presenting the important in-depth United Nations Secretary-General’s Study on The report was prepared in close cooperation with Violence against Children, inspired the Government of Janet Alberda, Femke Reudler Talsma and the Netherlands to put children’s rights, and especially Carola van den Brink of the Human Rights Division, violence against girls, high on the agenda. The Govern- Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Netherlands. ment of the Netherlands and the UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre would like to express our gratitude for Catherine Way edited the report, Pamela Knight his role in the conference. copy-edited the text and Allyson Alert-Atterbury of UNICEF IRC was editorial project manager. Professor Jaap Doek is also thanked for his ongoing involvement with the Girl Child Conference. As the conference was dedicated to the ‘girl child’, the cover of this report presents the faces of a diversity of Conference Speakers girls from across the world. (in order of appearance) Mr. Maxime Verhagen, Minister of Foreign Affairs, The image that appears most prominently is of Nojoud, the Netherlands a girl from Yemen. Like many other girls around the Mr. André Rouvoet, Minister for Youth and Families, world − and indeed, a subject that was discussed over the Netherlands the course of the workshop − she was married at a very Ms. Michele Jankanish, Director, International young age to a much older man. Nojoud was ill-treated Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour/ in the marriage and took the initiative to divorce her International Labour Organization husband, which she fought and won in the courts. Professor Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, Independent Expert, United Nations Secretary-General’s Study on Violence As both Minister Verhagen and Ms. Brandt explained against Children, Research Coordinator at the Center in their speeches, Nojoud has returned home and is for the Study on Violence, University of São Paolo, Brazil now living with her parents and siblings and continu- Ms. Jet Bussemaker, State Secretary for Health, ing her education. She has aspirations to become a Welfare and Sport, the Netherlands lawyer. Nojoud was informed about the event taking Professor Jaap Doek, Professor of Law, Vrije Universiteit, place in The Hague and was provided with copies of the Amsterdam conference documents. Ms. Marta Santos Pais, Director, UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre Mr. Bert Koenders, Minister for Development Cooperation, the Netherlands Mr. Ernst Hirsch Ballin, Minister of Justice, the Netherlands Ms. Daisy Mafubelu, Assistant Director-General, Family and Community Health, World Health Organization Ms. Mona Amin, National Council for Childhood and Motherhood, Egypt Ms. Cindy (Cynthia) Kiro, Children’s Commissioner, New Zealand Ms. Yoka Brandt, Director-General for International Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Netherlands. iii Many institutions, organizations and individuals con- Ministry of Justice, SPIOR Rotterdam (Platform of tributed to the final success of the conference. Gratitude Islamic Organisations Rijnmond), VON: Refugee is hereby expressed to the following important contri- Organisations in the Netherlands; Pakistan: Bedari; butors to the conference and its outcomes: Senegal: Plan West Africa, Tostan; Sri Lanka: Home- Start Lanka; Turkey: Amnesty International, Women International Organizations for Women’s Human Rights; Uganda: Parents Deal United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World Group; United Kingdom: Child Exploitation and Online Health Organization (WHO), International Labour Protection Centre, Forced Marriage Unit, Home-Start Organization (ILO) and the Council of Europe (COE). International, University of Edinburgh; United States of America: Minnesota Center Against Violence and Interministerial Coordinating Abuse, Wellesley Centers for Women; and Yemen: Committee Sana’a University. Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Ministry of Justice; Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport; Ministry Conference Moderator for Youth and Families; and Ministry of Social Affairs Ms. Chazia Mourali. and Employment. Working Group Preparation Committee Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Ministry of Justice; Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport; Ministry for Youth and Families; and Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment, MOVISIE: The Netherlands centre for social development, UNICEF Netherlands; ECPAT/ Defence for Children; Netherlands Youth Institute; Pharos: Knowledge Centre on Refugees, Migrants and Health; Plan Netherlands; and International Child Development Initiatives (ICDI). NGO/Expert Advisory Panel TNO (Institute of Applied Scientific Research in the Netherlands), Netherlands Youth Institute, UNICEF Netherlands, MOVISIE, Plan Netherlands, Pharos, ICDI, Cordaid, International Child Support, Child Helpline International, ISS (Institute of Social Studies), ECPAT/Defence for Children, Terre des Hommes, Interchurch Organisation for Development Cooperation (ICCO) and Save the Children. Working Group Experts Australia: Pathways Australia; Barbados: Caribbean Child Support Initiative; Belgium: Euronet-FGM; Burundi: HealthNet International; Canada: York University, Ontario; Colombia: Asociación Afecto Contra el Maltrato Infantíl (Association against Child Maltreatment); Egypt: National Council for Childhood and Motherhood; India: Childline India; Indonesia: Plan Indonesia; Kenya: Childline Kenya, Forum for African Women Educationalists, Plan Kenya; Netherlands: Free University Amsterdam, IOT (Turkish Community Advisory Committee; Mijn Kind Online, iv Abbreviations CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention MDGs Millennium Development Goals (United States) NGO non-governmental organization CEOP Child Exploitation and Online Protection OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation Centre (United Kingdom) and Development COPINE Combating Paedophile Information OHCHR Office of the United Nations High Networks in Europe (a project) Commissioner for Human Rights CRIN Child Rights Information Network SMS Short Message Service DHS Demographic and Health Surveys SPIOR Stichting Platform Islamitische DWG Donors Working Group on Female Genital Organisaties Rijnmond (Platform of Mutilation/Cutting Islamic Organisations Rijnmond, the ECPAT End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography Netherlands) and Trafficking of Children for Sexual StopX Stop Xploitation (a website aimed at young Purposes people providing information on the issue FAWE Forum for African Women Educationalists of sexual exploitation) FGM/C female genital mutilation/cutting UN United Nations HIV/AIDS human immunodeficiency virus/acquired UNAIDS Joint United Nations Programme on immune deficiency syndrome HIV/AIDS IBRD International Bank for Reconstruction and UNDP United Nations Development Programme Development/World Bank UNECA United Nations Economic Commission ICDS Integrated Child Development Services for Africa (India) UNESCO United Nations Educational,