Family for Every Child, a global alliance of 47 local Civil Society Organisations spanning 38 countries, is calling on you to join our signature campaign to protect boys from sexual violence. We are advocating for the United Nations to declare April 16th as Blue Umbrella Day — an International Day dedicated to the Prevention of Sexual Violence Against Boys. Your voice and support are crucial in making this happen.
Understanding the Issue of Sexual Violence Against Boys
Sexual violence against boys is often overshadowed in global discussions about violence and abuse against children. Despite the commitments outlined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC, 1990) and regional charters, such as the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child and the European Convention on the Exercise of Children's Rights, boys affected by sexual violence still face unique barriers to accessing the support they need.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular Goal 16, which aims to promote peace, justice, and strong institutions, emphasise the importance of protecting all children from violence and abuse. Yet, societal norms, cultural stigmas and a lack of awareness contribute to the invisibility of boys in this critical area. Against this backdrop, there is an urgent need to address the unique challenges faced by boys who have experienced sexual violence and to ensure that their rights and needs are not neglected.
Our comprehensive research — including the Global Study and national studies in several countries such as India, the Philippines, Cambodia, Nepal, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Guyana — has highlighted the severe and long-lasting impact of sexual violence on boys. This research has also revealed significant gaps in understanding, policy, and service provision, which urgently need to be addressed.
Why do we need an international day?
Since 2021, Family’s Blue Umbrella Day Campaign has been raising awareness, educating service providers, and calling on policymakers to address the issue of sexual violence against boys. In 2024, the campaign expanded to 37 countries through 55 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.
Declaring April 16th as Blue Umbrella Day will:
Raise Awareness: Highlight the issue on a global scale, challenge harmful gender norms, and foster open dialogue about the sexual violence boys experience.
Promote Research and Policy Development: Encourage greater investment in research on this issue to support the development of evidence-based policies to meet the needs of boys who have experienced sexual violence.
Ensure Justice and Support to Survivors: Advocate for accessible, effective, and safe support services that cater specifically to the needs of boys.
Foster Global Solidarity: Bring together nations, civil society organisations, networks, funding bodies, academia, media, service providers, communities, people with lived experiences and others in a united effort to prevent sexual violence against boys and amplify their voices.
Hold member countries/nations accountable: putting mechanisms in place that can help follow up actions into reports at the UN to develop standard procedures on the issue globally.
Please join our campaign and sign the petition. This is not just a day; it is a movement — an urgent global call to recognise, support, and protect boys from sexual violence. We believe that protecting boys from sexual violence complements and strengthens the essential efforts being made to prevent violence against ALL children. Your signature can help ensure that boys who have experienced sexual violence receive the recognition, support, and justice they deserve.
Get involved in the campaign! Join our community
We will soon share more opportunities for civil society organisations worldwide to engage in this campaign. If you would like to learn more about this campaign and collaborate with practitioners worldwide to protect children from violence, please join our community of practice on the Prevention of Sexual Violence Against Children (RISE Learning Network) on Changemakers for Children.