Down to Zero
Millions of children worldwide are sexually exploited, both online and offline. And this number continues to grow. The Down to Zero Alliance is stepping up the fight against child sexual exploitation. We are committed to the protection of children and the prevention of sexual exploitation in twelve countries in Asia and Latin America. Terre des Hommes Netherlands (lead), Child Rights Coalition Asia (CRC Asia), Conexión, Defence for Children - Ecpat, Free A Girl and Plan International work together in the Down to Zero Alliance with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands to address the sexual exploitation of children.
Down to Zero implements the programme Step Up the Fight Against Sexual Exploitation of Children (SUFASEC), that enables children and young people to defend their own rights, support communities to become safer and protective of their children against sexual exploitation, and helps governments to improve and implement related policies, laws and regulations. The Alliance also collaborates with the private sector, for example in the tourist industry.
Under the SUFASEC programme, two initiatives specifically focus on child and youth participation: Youth Voices for Change and the VOICE project.
Step Up the Fight Against Sexual Exploitation of Children (SUFASEC)
Every child deserves a life free from sexual exploitation. Our mission with Down to Zero is to make this a reality, both online and offline. The aim of our programme Step Up the Fight Against Sexual Exploitation of Children (SUFASEC) is that children in all their diversity are better protected from sexual exploitation.
The Alliance works in twelve countries in Asia and Latin America to prevent and protect children from sexual exploitation: the Philippines, Thailand, Laos, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Brasil, Bolivia, Colombia, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic. We do this together with children, youth, activists, parents, schools, governments, the private sector, and anyone who can make a difference.
Children and youth are the most important stakeholders. When they fall victim to sexual exploitation, the physical and mental impact can be long lasting. Children and youth are highly mobilised and active. However, they need to be more recognised and heard in society.
Youth Voices for Change
Youth Voices for Change is an initiative of the Down To Zero Alliance that seeks to prevent the sexual exploitation of children and youth by amplifying the voices of young leaders for change in Latin America and Asia.
The goal is to position young leaders as central agents of change, to improve child protection systems in Asia and Latin America through lobby & advocacy and capacity building from the local, regional, national and cross-border level to international level.
Youth Voice for Change is running in 10 countries across Asia and Latin America: Bolivia, Colombia, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Peru, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand.
VOICE project
Worldwide, children are at high risk of online harm such as online sexual exploitation of children. Strong rules and regulations are needed to make sure the internet is a safe place where children can learn, connect and play. Currently, the Regulation to Prevent and Combat Child Sexual Abuse is proposed in the European Union which also contains rules about the online world to protect children. Unfortunately, children’s voices (and those of their caregivers) are being overlooked in the debate on online safety.
To fill the gap of overlooking children in the online safety debate, the VOICE project was initiated. VOICE stands for Values, Opinions, and Insights from Children (and Caregivers) about E-safety. We engage in collaborative, meaningful and outcome driven Focus Group Discussions (FGD) with children while concurrently surveying parents and caregivers in 15 countries across the EU (Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Romania, Spain, The Netherlands), Asia (Bangladesh, Thailand and The Philippines) and Latin America (Bolivia and Brazil).
ECPAT International, Eurochild and Terre des Hommes Netherlands have joined forces for the VOICE project on behalf of the Down to Zero Alliance.
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Background
Sexual exploitation of children is a grave violation of children’s rights and affects millions of children and youth annually, regardless of gender. No region, country or child is immune, though there are several linked factors that affect their vulnerability. It impacts heavily and long lastingly on the physical, emotional and mental well-being of children and youth. It deprives them of establishing healthy (sexual) relationships and from developing to the best of their potential.
There are many factors that drive sexual exploitation of children. Harmful social norms and gender roles - toxic masculinity, victim-blaming, objectification of children and harmful religious and cultural practices - create and persist circumstances where use of children for sexual purposes is possible, permissible and tolerated.
Similarly, social norms also persist within family units. Vulnerabilities to sexual exploitation – like being a child born into a marginalised family with little or no resources for survival – increase when parents/caregivers lack the insights or means to create a safe environment for their children at home.
The general public, the private sector and authorities silently condone or even facilitate its practice. Research shows that sexual exploitation of children is more likely to thrive in unstable environments where there is poverty and weak child protection systems. It is furthermore facilitated by inadequately enforced or distrusted legal environments.
Compounding factors that increase the vulnerability of children and youth to sexual exploitation include travel and tourism, access to and increasing use of new technologies and the internet, organised crime, climate change and humanitarian crises, and complex drivers including migration, substance abuse, and individual intersectional vulnerabilities such as disability, sexual orientation and gender identity.
Children have less means and often agency than adults to claim space and exercise civic, political and participation rights.
Youth Voices for Change
Youth Voices for Change is an initiative of the Down To Zero Alliance, with the goal of uniting voices and opening spaces for young people to speak out, question and share their messages to prevent the sexual exploitation of children and adolescents in Latin America and Asia.
Objectives
The Step Up the Fight Against Sexual Exploitation of Children (SUFASEC) programme from the Down to Zero Alliance focuses on three main objectives:
What we do
The Down to Zero Alliance addresses the sexual exploitation of children by:
This is me
In a previous Down to Zero programme, photographer Marieke van der Velden engaged with children in Thailand. Child survivors of sexual exploitation expressed themselves in art. What do they look like when they draw themselves? Behind the safety of the mask, they shed light on themselves.
Our results
The Down to Zero (DtZ) Alliance has been operational in preventing and stopping sexual exploitation of children since 2016. The DtZ 1.0 programme was implemented from 2016 to the end of 2020 in ten countries. The Voice for Change programme was implemented from March 2020 to the end of June 2021 in five countries and the Building Back Better in Times of Covid-19 programme was implemented from May 2021 to May 2022 in twelve countries.
All programmes applied a holistic approach to address Sexual Exploitation of Children and worked with different stakeholders (children, parents and caretakers, community members, schools, governments, law enforcement officers and the private sector).