About Down to Zero Alliance and Voice for Change Programme
About Down to Zero
Commercial sexual exploitation of children is a phenomenon that affects 2 million children worldwide. In an alliance named ‘Down to Zero’, with Terre des Hommes Netherlands, Plan International Netherlands, Defence for Children – ECPAT, Free a Girl and ICCO, they work together aiming to end commercial sexual exploitation in ten countries in Asia and Latin America together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. Currently, Down to Zero develops two programmes, Voice for Change and Building Back Better, that enable children and young people to defend their own rights, support communities to become safer and protective of their children against sexual exploitation, and helps governments to improve and implement related policies, laws and regulations.
About Voice for Change
Governments have the primary responsibility for putting in place the appropriate legislation, and child protection system (including services), to prevent and protect children from sexual exploitation. However, in the countries Down to Zero operates in, child protection systems suffer from policy-flaws, poor implementation and enforcement of laws, little investment in protective services and lengthy court proceedings. Child Protection Systems in the 5 target countries are not sufficiently child-youth- and gender-sensitive, there is often low political commitment and insufficient capacity to implement Child Protection Systems.
Youth Voices for Change
‘Youth Voices for Change’ is an initiative of the Down To Zero Alliance that seeks to prevent the sexual exploitation of children and adolescents by amplifying the voices of young leaders for change in Latin America and Asia.
The goal is to position young leaders as central agents of change, to improve child protection systems in Asia and Latin America through lobby & advocacy and capacity building at local, regional, national and cross-border level to international level.