Gender-Based Violence Against Children and Youth with Disabilities: A toolkit for child protection actors

Studies suggest that children with disabilities are at a greater risk of experiencing physical and sexual violence than children without disabilities. They may be hidden in communities due to stigma and discrimination and excluded from school and other educational opportunities. Adolescent girls and boys with disabilities, particularly those with intellectual disabilities, may be excluded from activities that increase their knowledge about violence, sex and healthy relationships, as well as from peer networks that might protect them from violence. Girls, boys, young women and young men with disabilities have unique insights into critical issues that shape their daily lives and the obstacles they face. They also have a variety of skills and capacities to contribute to programming for children and youth, but are rarely consulted in program design and planning.

To address this gap, ChildFund International commissioned the development of this Toolkit, entitled Gender-based Violence against Children and Youth with Disabilities: A Toolkit for Child Protection Actors. ChildFund and Women’s Refugee Commission worked together to design and pilot participatory tools primarily for use by ChildFund staff and partners. They may also be useful to a wide range of actors engaged in child protection, GBV prevention and response, and for youth engagement programs in both development and humanitarian contexts. This toolkit was designed to reflect on and address capacity development needs of staff on disability inclusion; identify gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and response needs of children and youth with disabilities; and foster their participation in both planning and implementation of activities to prevent and reduce the risks of violence.