As we mark World Children’s Day, it’s clear that ending violence against children is not just a matter for policymakers and governments—it is everyone’s business. From local communities to global organizations, the responsibility to protect children, uphold their rights, and foster safer environments for them to grow and thrive rests with us all.
Between November 6 and 9, 2025, more than 130 governments, 80 ministers, and nearly 1,400 allies, including children, youth, survivors, academics, philanthropists, and investors, gathered for the first-ever Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children. This historic event was a pivotal moment in the global fight to protect children. It brought together diverse voices from across the child development spectrum, all committed to driving action that will scale solutions, influence policy changes, and increase investments to tackle the global challenge of violence against children.
The conference highlighted a critical shift: over 50 countries pledged to invest in parenting support, while another 50 committed to strengthening school-based interventions aimed at preventing violence. These commitments are a significant step forward, but the work doesn’t stop here. To realize these promises, scaling evidence-based solutions is essential.
Grand Challenges Canada (GCC) is proud to spotlight a selection of high-potential innovations from our Saving Brains portfolio that are already making a tangible difference in improving both parenting and school-based support for our youngest citizens. These programs are transforming lives, fostering healthier, safer environments, and empowering families to break cycles of violence.
- Bandebereho: A Breakthrough in Rwanda
In Rwanda, the Bandebereho program challenges long-standing gender norms within families, communities, and public systems. This proven intervention engages fathers in the care and upbringing of their children, focusing on eliminating intimate partner violence—one of the root causes of violence against children. Delivered by community health workers, Bandebereho has already shown significant impact and is scaling across three districts in Rwanda, reaching more families and improving outcomes for children.
- Mama Ambassador Program: Supporting Adolescent Parents in Uganda
In Uganda, adolescent parents face heightened risks, including high rates of intimate partner violence, poor mental health, and negative outcomes for their children. The Mama Ambassador Program, delivered by Babies and Mothers Alive, is a peer-focused emotional support initiative that provides critical support to adolescent mothers, starting from enabling access to facilities for birth, to long term peer-support. Piloted in the Masaka district, the program has shown promising results, significantly reducing intimate partner violence and improving child outcomes for children born to adolescent parents.
- Ethiopian School Readiness Initiative: Building a Strong Foundation for the Future
In Ethiopia, the Ethiopian School Readiness Initiative integrates psychosocial and physical health services into preschools nationwide. children are prepared for school both academically and socially while providing access to essential health services. With support from regional health, education, and social service bureaus, this initiative also equips teachers and caregivers with the resources they need to support children’s holistic development and well-being by improving positive discipline practices.
A Global Effort to End Violence Against Children
As governments and stakeholders continue to push for stronger plans and policies to eliminate violence against children, we urge continued support for locally-led innovations that are making a real difference. The examples above are just a few of the evidence-based programs and interventions that are helping to break cycles of violence and build healthier, safer futures for children and families worldwide.
At Grand Challenges Canada, we are committed to surfacing and disseminating scalable, high-impact interventions that improve the lives of parents and children and strengthen the systems needed to support them. Ending violence against children will take all of us working together. It’s an effort that requires global commitment and local action, and we are determined to continue driving this critical work forward.
