Date: 19 November

Child abuse, especially sexual abuse, is a universal and alarming problem and
increased attention and efficient protection skills and prevention measures are
necessary at family, local, national and international level. After a long tradition
of silence, sexual child abuse is being more and more denounced and becoming a
public and political topic.

Alerting Governments and civil society organisations to play a more active role in
the promotion of and respect for the rights of the child (article 19 and 34 of the
Convention on the Rights of the Child), and contributing to the prevention of child
abuse, Women's World Summit Foundation (WWSF) launched in 2000 the World Day for
Prevention of Child Abuse, a Day to be commemorated every 19 November in synergy
with the anniversary of the International Day for the rights of the child (20
November) which has as its objective to be a rallying point around the issue of
child abuse and the need for urgent effective prevention programs.

To make the Day a global call for action, WWSF launched in 2001 an international NGO
coalition that marks the World Day with appropriate events and activities to focus
on and increase prevention education. [Source: CRIN]

For more information, contact:
Laure Domeniconi
Program Co-ordinator, Children's section
Women's World Summit Foundation, WWSF
P.O. Box 2001, 1211 Geneva 1, Switzerland
Tel: + 41 22 738.66.19; Fax: + 41 22 738.82.48
Email: dignity@vtxnet.ch
Web: www.woman.ch