Shattering the Silence

Sexual violence against girls is the problem that nobody wants to talk about. It’s not only an uncomfortable topic, but there’s also a lot of denial around the issue. No one wants to believe that sexual violence against 8-, 9- and 10-year-old girls is going on in their own neighborhood, or in their country. Yet the truth is that worldwide as many as 150 million girls a year experience some form of sexual violence.

What can be done about it? You start by breaking through the denial with credible data and facts. You educate heads of households, faith leaders, school leaders and other community influencers. You work with governments to enforce existing laws and write new ones. There is so much that needs to be done, and it requires a multi-level, multi-strategy approach. That’s where our partnership with the CDC Foundation has been so beneficial.

The people at the CDC Foundation are experts at mobilizing change. They bring the right resources to the table – from CDC experts and global partners to funding and manpower on the ground.

For years CDC has been instrumental in figuring things out when no one else could. Now, through the CDC Foundation, we’re able to tap into that wisdom.