Ending Violence Against Children in Canada

On December 15 the global network to End Violence Against Children (EVAC) launched a major campaign for the coming year.  It is a next step toward the ambitious goal of ending all forms of violence against children by 2030, one of the Sustainable Development Goals. 2021 will feature global campaigns, affiliate events in Pathfinder countries, which includes Canada, and a Global Solutions Summit near the end of the year.

As a member of the Civil Society Forum, part of EVAC, the CCRC is developing plans for activities in Canada as well.  Covid-19 has increased the risk of violence against children, while making it more difficult to provide assistance.  While the rates of violence against children in Canada were unacceptably high before Covid-19, the current context heightens the urgency.  It is a good time to raise public awareness and use resources developed for the global campaign to mobilize more action in Canada.

For the CCRC, this is follow-up to the National Consultation on Violence against Children, which we co-hosted in June, 2019.  The recommendations from that event formed part of the content of the CCRC alternative report for the 5th/6th review of children’s rights.  The need for stronger and more co-ordinated action to prevent all forms of violence is also one of the list of issues that governments in Canada are asked to address, as part of the next phase of the review.

What we hope to see

Article 19 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child articulates the right of every child to grow up free from all forms of violence.  Violence is preventable; good solutions are known. They are also a smart investment; action is needed across Canada.

The CCRC hopes to partner with other organizations and governments to raise public awareness, identify evidence-based solutions that could be scaled up to reach more children and families, and explore how the global INSPIRE framework could be used to connect the many different violence prevention activities, to have a greater impact. Watch for more information in the new year.

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