Blue Umbrella Day (BUD) is an international day on 16 April that raises awareness of how to better care for boys and protect them from sexual violence. Since its first edition in 2021, BUD has already reached thousands of children, NGOs and policymakers, facilitated dialogues around the prevention of sexual violence against boys and influenced policy changes worldwide.
This year, we are advocating for the United Nations to declare April 16th as an international day dedicated to the prevention of sexual violence against boys, and we need your help. Learn more about this initiative and how you can support us in making this happen.
Understanding the issue
Protecting boys from sexual violence is a critically overlooked global issue. In global discussions about violence and abuse towards children, the sexual violence they experience is often overshadowed. Contributing factors to this invisibility include societal norms, cultural stigmas, and a general lack of awareness.
UNICEF’s 2024 report, ‘When Numbers Demand Action', indicates that worldwide, 410 to 530 million boys and men - nearly 1 in 7 - have faced sexual violence during childhood. Additionally, many more are subjected to exploitation or inappropriate sexual content.
These experiences can have lasting negative effects on boys’ health and overall well-being. Boys who suffer from sexual violence face a higher likelihood of depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. Despite this, they frequently receive less focus than girls in protective measures (UNICEF, 2020).
Research from Family For Every Child found that boys who experience sexual are far less likely to ask for help than girls and are more likely to have problems in future relationships. Our research has also revealed significant gaps in understanding, policy, and service provision, which urgently need to be addressed.
A global campaign to protect boys from abuse
Since 2021, Family for Every Child’s Blue Umbrella Day Campaign has raised awareness, educated service providers, and called on policymakers to address the issue of sexual violence against boys. This includes reforming laws, improving data collection, providing gender-inclusive recovery services, and challenging harmful cultural norms.
In 2024, the campaign expanded to 37 countries through over 60 civil society organisations, reaching over a million people, including men and boys with lived experience of childhood sexual violence, communities, parents, service providers, local and international CSO networks, and policymakers.
This year, we are advocating for the United Nations to declare April 16th as an international day dedicated to the prevention of sexual violence against boys. Declaring April 16th Blue Umbrella Day will help raise global awareness, ensure justice and support for survivors, foster global solidarity, and hold national governments accountable.
What’s happening worldwide this year
In this BUD edition, 25 members from the Family for Every Child global alliance across 20 countries and four continents - Africa, America, Asia, and Europe - will participate in the campaign. Their initiatives include awareness-raising lectures and workshops in schools, artistic workshops for youth, training sessions for child protection practitioners, youth advocacy workshops, and community walks. They are engaging local media through press, television, and radio, and hosting physical and virtual events. We also welcome several partner organisations beyond our Member Alliance.
This month, we will share and repost publications from our Alliance and external partners. Follow us on social media to learn more about BUD activities worldwide.
Join the movement! Support Blue Umbrella Day
Join our global movement to recognise, support, and protect boys from sexual violence. Only through a collective and amplified effort, with the support of governments, organisations, and individuals worldwide, can we ensure that boys and young men can access the protections, care, and opportunities for healing they need. Here is how you can support the Blue Umbrella Signature Campaign in 2025:
Sign our global petition!
Sign our petition and help us reach 100,000 signatures! In September, we will present the collected signatures as part of a formal report to the UN Secretary-General’s annual report on violence against children, emphasising the need for a dedicated day of recognition. Your signature can help ensure that boys who have experienced sexual violence receive the visibility, support and justice they deserve.
Download the campaign’s participation pack
This pack contains information and guidance to ensure the success of our campaign to declare 16 April a UN-recognised day. It aims to support your national and regional campaigning and ensure consistent messaging.
The Participation Pack is available in English, French, Portuguese and Spanish. It includes the campaign objectives and key messages, suggestions of activities to organise locally, social media assets, editable image templates for social media, and printable assets to support physical activities.
Download the participation pack
Sexual violence against boys is an urgent global issue that needs attention. Collective action is essential to advocate for stronger policies and inclusive services. Together, we can break the silence and hold governments accountable to ensure boys receive the protection, care, and justice they deserve.