Our Voice Swedish Survivors Report Published at High-level Conference in Stockholm
- Protect Children
- Jun 3
- 2 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
NEWS
Yesterday, in collaboration with the Justice Initiative and Nordic Child Tech Policy Alliance (NOCTA), Protect Children held a High-level Conference in Stockholm to advocate for stronger measures to prevent and end childhood sexual violence across the Nordic countries.
The Conference was opened by Ylva Johansson, European Commissioner for Home Affairs. She was followed with powerful speeches from Dr. h.c. Guido Fluri of the Guido Fluri Foundation, Minna Ljunggren, State Secretary to the Minister for Social Services (Sweden), Juno Blom, Ombudsman for Children in Sweden, and Paulina Brandberg, Former Minister for Gender Equality (Sweden).
Protect Children Executive Director Nina Vaaranen-Valkonen and Specialist & Human Rights Lawyer Eva Díaz Bethencourt then presented the new Our Voice Report which was published at the conference. This new report, available in English and Swedish, presents findings from 850 Swedish-speaking survivors of childhood sexual violence who shared their stories in the Global Our Voice Survivor Survey.
Then, attendees heard directly from survivors who were present to share their stories. Their testimonies shed light on the urgent need for reform in support systems and legal frameworks in order to receive the recognition, reparation, and justice they deserve. We are honoured to have heard their stories and thank the survivors for their courage.
There was then a panel discussion titled: Joining Forces to Prevent and End Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation in the Nordic countries. It featured Elise Thoen, Head of Policy and Programmes at ChildX; Anna Karin Hildingson Boqvist, Secretary General for ECPAT Sverige; Joel Borgström, Senior Program Advisor Child Protection at the World Childhood Foundation; and Elin Wernquist, Secretary General of Barnrättsbryån. Panelists explored Sweden’s efforts to advance child protection and support systems since the adoption of Council of Europe Resolution 2533 and called for increased child protection systems across the Nordics.
The conference ended with a beautiful performance from Protect Children Brand Ambassador Scharliina, who sang her song 'Dance After Darkness' as well as the SHAME photo exhibition. This powerful project by the Justice Initiative delivers the stories of survivors of childhood violence alongside their portraits in a powerful visual display, amplifying the voices of survivors and extensively documenting the injustices they have experienced.
Scroll through images from the event in the carousel below!
