Ending sexual violence at its roots
Cultivating families, communities and systems that keep children safe
The three levels — a public health approach
We channel investment toward “upstream” interventions that target the root causes of sexual violence. The more we target root causes, the greater the chances of sustainable social benefits — in preventing public health problems, economic crises and social instability. Our strategies challenge the social constructs that drive sexual violence, such as androcentrism and adultcentrism.
THE SIX INITIATIVES
1 · Early childhood development
The first 1,000 days are the most crucial for building healthy brain architecture — which largely determines the trajectory of a life, including a person’s resilience to adverse and traumatic experiences. Prevention begins during pregnancy and early infancy, with healthy parent–child bonds and safe, enriching environments. When empathy develops well, it dramatically reduces the potential for future violence. At scale, these interventions can radically alter relational patterns across a society.
Socio-emotional nutrition
Cognitive nutrition
Development of self-agency
Safe and enriching environments
CEV · Comunidad Educativa Para La Vida
Our school in Chilimarca, Bolivia — where all of this started. It serves over 250 children from infancy through 6th grade, who also receive two full meals a day and free psychological and medical care. CEV built a school culture of non-violence in a country where violence is a routine form of discipline, and now serves as a model for other schools in its district.
In 2024: 1,499 people trained in early childhood development · 251 families in parenting programs · 57 pregnant women accompanied
2 · Training officials, professionals and students
A trauma-informed response can change a child’s life. An inappropriate, victim-blaming one can force her back into silence, sometimes forever. Our purpose is that individuals, families, communities and institutions have what they need to create safe spaces — and to respond with compassion when they detect sexual violence.
FOUR OBJECTIVES
FIVE SECTORS
Justice system operators
+Police, prosecutors, judges, medical examiners and other professionals — trained to respond to child sexual violence and help victims obtain justice.
Health system professionals
+Equipped to suspect and identify possible cases, and to offer compassionate support to child survivors.
Educational system professionals
+Educators, schools and universities. In schools we work so children understand the dynamics of sexual violence, know their rights, and know where to get help — because one of our own studies found that over 80% of children living through sexual violence did not know it was a crime.
Youth-to-Youth: we train adolescents to create safe spaces for disclosure among their peers, since it is often easier for a child to tell another child than an adult.
Human services sector
+Government welfare and protection agencies, and those directly involved in legal change — trained to recognize the signs and understand the lifelong impact.
Civil society
+Parents, professionals and community members. Training topics include: healthy early childhood development · myths about sexual violence · due diligence · the neurophysiological impact of sexual violence · neuroscience-based forensic interviewing · innovative practices for trauma healing and resilience building.
In 2024: 7,983 professionals trained, from 11 countries · 425 at the annual justice conference
3 · International advocacy
We advocate for prevention, healing and justice before the United Nations and the Organization of American States, and maintain a persistent presence before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, where we surface systematic violations of child survivors' rights.
At the First Global Ministerial in Bogotá, of 9 demands presented, 11 countries adopted them fully and 35 partially.
4 · Research and publications
Dozens of training manuals, books, research papers and protocols — written to give advocates, public officials and grassroots practitioners the frameworks and practical guidance they need to run prevention work and serve survivors directly.
All publications → Resources
5 · Social activism and awareness campaigns
Public information campaigns across radio, television, print and social media. The largest is the annual August 9th campaign — Day of Solidarity with Victims of Sexual Violence — with peaceful walks and parades across Latin America.
In 2024: 37,062 people marched · 12 bills presented.
August 9th → Events
6 · Public policy and legal reform
Laws are prevention at scale: they protect children who will never meet us. We have pushed through the removal of statutes of limitations and the redefinition of rape provisions around the absence of consent.
How we litigate and reform → JusticeHow we transfer prevention
To organizations
We fund and train the teams running prevention programs in their own communities
Resilientes Inquebrantables →
The largest collective of survivor activists in the region — the ones who change what their communities believe
To governments
Institutional training, public policy and legal reform across the region