The ChildFund Alliance/ODI report will be launched today at a #UNGA69 side event on violence against children in New York
Sydney, Australia, 25 September 2014: As world leaders come together in New York to discuss the next set of global development priorities, new research released today finds that physical, psychological and sexual violence perpetrated against children represents a massive economic burden – costing governments globally up to $7 trillion per annum.
The study, commissioned by ChildFund Alliance and conducted by the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), reveals that the total costs of physical, psychological and sexual violence against children are up to 8 per cent of the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This is more than the GDPs of Australia, Canada, India, and Mexico combined.
This global estimate is based on previous research on the costs of violence against children in high- and middle-income countries. Researchers used these estimates to obtain a global cost in terms of productivity loss for the total number of victims in a given year.
The study also estimates that the global costs of children forced to work in hazardous conditions, which deprives them of their childhood, amount to more than US$97 billion every year; and that the annual costs of children being recruited by armed forces and groups are US$144 million.
This research is adding to the weight of evidence that Governments need to ensure that violence against children is addressed in their new global agenda.
“This research clearly demonstrates that the cost of not acting on violence against children is far more expensive than preventing it – prevention pays,” said Andrew Johnson, acting Secretary General of ChildFund Alliance. “It is vital that the post-2015 agenda addresses violence against children. Children themselves are calling for Governments to finish the job they started 15 years ago with the MDGs and for the prevention of violence to be included in the new agenda.”
NOTES TO EDITORS:
- The ChildFund Alliance/ODI report ‘The costs and economic impact of violence against children’ can be downloaded here.
- ChildFund Alliance is a worldwide alliance of 12 children’s development organisations, including ChildFund Australia, working in 58 countries to improve the lives of vulnerable and excluded children, helping them overcome poverty and achieve their rights.
- ChildFund Alliance’s global campaign Free From Violence (www.freefromviolence.org) has been set up to advocate to Governments for the inclusion of the prevention of violence and exploitation of children as one of the development priorities in the post-2015 agenda and to raise awareness at all levels of these issues.
Sydney, Australia, 23 September 2014: ChildFund Australia is thrilled to announce award-winning actress and long-time child sponsor Danielle Cormack as its newest ambassador.
Danielle – who has been a sponsor with ChildFund for almost a decade – became an ambassador for ChildFund in her home country of New Zealand four years ago. Following her move across the shores, Danielle will now be representing ChildFund in Australia as well.
Danielle said: “As an ambassador, I’ve travelled to Vietnam to visit some of the communities supported by ChildFund and meet the children and families benefiting from their work. I witnessed firsthand the way ChildFund forms relationships with the local people, listening to their needs and then working together with them to establish sustainable projects that meet those needs. The support is respectful, empowering the children and the community as a whole. It’s that community-led approach that undoubtedly makes a tangible difference in children’s lives.”
Danielle has been sponsoring Akullu, a young woman in Uganda, for almost 10 years and hopes to visit her before she graduates from the sponsorship program.
Danielle said: “I’ve been sponsoring Akullu since she was six years old – she’s now 16! It’s been wonderful to see her grow and develop into a young woman through her letters and photos. I know she’ll be leaving the sponsorship program in the next few years so I’m planning to travel to Uganda to meet her and her family in person before then.”
In her role as ChildFund ambassador, Danielle wants to connect more Australians with issues for children in developing countries, and improve their understanding of how organisations like ChildFund, with the support of everyday Australians, make a real difference for children living in extreme poverty around the world.
“I have a strong interest in child protection and women’s rights,” said Danielle. “The extreme violence faced by women and children in Papua New Guinea is something I am really concerned about, particularly given it is happening so close to our shores. ChildFund is doing some tremendous work in this area so I look forward to learning more about this by spending some time in PNG down the track.”
ChildFund Australia CEO Nigel Spence said: “We are fortunate to have someone as passionate and engaged as Danielle as a ChildFund ambassador. Danielle has been a long-time supporter of ChildFund and her genuine compassion and ability to communicate with the Australian public means she will be able to help raise awareness about some very serious issues for children, particularly in our region but also further afield.
“Having already visited our work in Vietnam, and been a sponsor with ChildFund for almost 10 years, she has an excellent understanding of how poverty affects children and how every one of us can make a positive impact in the life of a child and their community.”
Hi-res images of Danielle Cormack are available upon request.
Follow Danielle on Twitter and Instagram
