Spanish Version – The power of Data to Action: Country experiences and lessons following Violence Against Children and Youth Surveys

Summary

The report consolidates findings from a landscape analysis prepared by URC and City University of New York. It is part of a broader effort led by USAID’s HEARD project to document and support learning around “data to action” (D2A) following Violence Against Children and Youth Surveys (VACS). It provides evidence that the process of undertaking a VACS and the D2A model contributes to meaningful policy change and action to end violence against children and adolescents and gender-based violence. It also showcases the urgent need for increased funding for violence prevention and response. The VACS are the single largest global data source for violence against children worldwide. Led by national governments with technical assistance and support from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other partners, they are implemented as part of the Together for Girls partnership. The landscape analysis is the first comprehensive review of country experiences in transforming VACS results into action and included 225 stakeholders across 20 VACS countries. Stakeholders from every participating country reported that VACS data and the post-survey processes effectively propelled important policy and programmatic changes to end violence against children. As part of the post-survey processes, many countries passed or advanced the implementation of laws related to abolishing child marriage (nine countries), banning corporal punishment (10 countries), and child safety (13 countries).