Child, early and forced marriage
Every year, 12 million girls become brides before they turn 18. That’s nearly one girl every two seconds. Girls who are married as teens or children are more likely to experience physical and sexual violence.
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The Case for Protection From Violence
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One in five
Violence against children jeopardizes their growth and development and sends shock waves through families and entire communities. And it isn’t a one-size-fits-all issue — it is profoundly gendered, meaning it affects girls in unique ways. Plan International Canada supports interventions that enable children to live free from the shadow of harm.
600 million
More than 600 million women and girls live in countries affected by conflict. That’s a 50% increase since 2017.
66.5 million
Conflict and climate-change-related crises directly affect 66.5 million children worldwide each year.
One in five 
One in five female refugees living in a humanitarian setting has experienced sexual violence.
What is considered a protection-from-violence issue?
The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is crystal clear: Every child has the fundamental right to live free from violence. But the reality is that millions of children worldwide, especially girls, are facing or are at risk of physical, sexual or emotional abuse.
The umbrella of protection from violence includes but isn’t limited to:
- Child, early and forced marriage
- Sexual and intimate-partner violence
- Female genital mutilation
- School-related gender-based violence
- Exploitation and trafficking
Useaking’s Story
“If I had known, I would have made better choices.”
– Useaking
At 17, Useaking took a daring leap, believing it would bring her a newfound sense of freedom. In this short film, she explains how she’s now reshaping her story while helping other girls avoid the pitfalls of early marriage.
The Top Four Barriers to Protection From Violence
At the core of our mission lies a vision: a world where children grow up safe and free from the harsh realities of early marriage, forced recruitment into armed groups, intimate partner violence and corporal punishment. Why? Because in the past year alone, a staggering 1.7 billion children suffered through emotional, physical and sexual violence.
Our dedication to this cause runs deep, and our commitment goes beyond just protecting children; we’re working to tackle root causes that expose children, especially girls, to violence.
Violence and harassment
One in three women will experience physical or sexual violence in her lifetime. More than 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone female genital mutilation, most before they reached the age of 15.
Gender inequality
Harmful gender norms can promote or justify violence against women and girls. And, when women have limited agency and power in their homes and families, their options for seeking support and finding safety are also limited.
Crisis and conflict
In an emergency, girls are more at risk of gender-based violence, exploitation and child, early and forced marriage. The countries where more than 50% of girls are married by the age of 18 are also countries where instability, conflict and violence are ongoing.
Our Approach
Four ways we are realizing the right to protection from violence:
Our Approach
1. Combatting child, early and forced marriage
For families experiencing poverty, early marriage can be viewed as a means to secure their daughters’ futures, yet this choice carries significant negative consequences for girls. Through community partnerships, we help families find alternative paths by supporting opportunities that increase their income and savings, promoting education for girls and shifting attitudes about early marriage.
Our Approach
2. Supporting adolescent girls in crisis
In times of crisis, girls face the highest risks, yet they are frequently sidelined and left out of protection efforts that do not adequately address their distinct vulnerabilities. We are actively integrating the needs and rights of girls into disaster policies and programs. This includes challenging attitudes that contribute to gender-based violence, delivering comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services, and boosting economic opportunities.
Our Approach
3. Strengthening protection from violence in emergencies
In emergencies, we work in partnership with children (especially girls), their families, communities, governments and local services to help prepare them for future crises. When communities are equipped to jump into action, their fast response also improves recovery over the long term.
Our Approach
4. Building stronger systems to prevent and report violence
We actively support quality gender- and age-appropriate child-protection services. We also work with children, families and communities – including services like schools and health centres – so they can identify child-protection risks and take proactive measures to prevent and respond to them.
Our Protection From Violence Projects
Building a safe world for every child.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is crystal clear: Every child has the fundamental right to live free from violence. But the reality is that millions of children worldwide, especially girls, are facing or at risk of physical, sexual and emotional abuse. Violence against children jeopardizes their growth and development and sends shock waves through families and entire communities. See below for details on a few of our protection-from-violence projects.
All countries with active protection from violence projects
Our Impact
Our recent wins:
156,870 adults received training and information on how to prevent and respond to violence, including gender-based violence.
1,950 child-protection personnel were trained.
272,360 people were reached with $16.1 million invested.
Local implementing partners:
Plan International implements all projects and programming in partnership with local, national and community-based organizations. This includes women’s rights organizations, youth-led organizations and research institutions. Plan International also works in collaboration with governments, where relevant, at national and local levels. More details on local implementing partners can be found within the descriptions of each project.
Our Partners in Protection From Violence
We extend our deepest thanks to our partners around the world who consistently and generously support protection from violence. Their contributions are the foundation of our mission, enabling us to help transform the lives of children. Without them, none of this would be possible.
Global partners:
- Global Affairs Canada (GAC)
- The Humanitarian Coalition (HC)
- The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
- United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
- The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR)
- United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
- Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Assistance
- Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)
Technical partners:
CAAFAG Task Force (Children Associated with Armed Forces and Armed Groups)Three ways you can support our work in protection from violence
Protect Children in Crisis
The best time to address an emergency is before it happens. Make sure that we can react immediately to protect children’s education when crises strike by contributing to the Children in Crisis Response Fund.
Until We Are All Equal
Whether it’s a one-time contribution or ongoing monthly donation, your support helps us address the greatest needs facing children, especially girls.
Sponsorship
Help a child realize their rights to live, learn, decide and thrive. Together, we can create a world where all children can step into their full potential.
Access our resources
Explore our programs with this collection of resources, including cutting-edge research, lessons learned and personal stories of change.
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