25 years have passed since HM The Queen decided it was time for the world to stop turning a blind eye to the fact that children are being sexually abused. The decision was easy – something had to be done to protect children. The reaction of the outside world was mixed. Should a Queen really be working with such a sensitive topic? At the same time, a strong network united behind the Queen. Together they founded World Childhood Foundation.
Few people talked about children’s rights in the late 1990s. Even fewer dared to talk about child sexual abuse. In 1996, the first World Congress against the Sexual Exploitation of Children was held in Stockholm. The Queen gave the opening speech.
Shortly afterwards, The Queen also spoke at a conference in Paris about the situation of children in different countries. It was a fiery speech about children being sexually abused. A speech that the audience did not want to hear. It was an uncomfortable truth that made them silent and look away.
– It only strengthened my conviction that something needed to be done. It became and has continued to be a driving force.
If the silence in Paris became a driving force to move forward, it was a visit to a favela in Rio de Janeiro that laid the foundation for the idea of an organization that protects children from sexual abuse.
Together with a friend who worked in the favela, the Queen met children abandoned by – or separated from – their parents. They also met children who had been displaced from their families because they had been sexually abused.
– It was very special. And dangerous. These children lived in constant fear. I felt so strongly that I had to do something. There were already many excellent organizations working with children experiencing homelessness, but there was no one working to protect children from sexual abuse. Here I saw that I had an opportunity to make a difference.
The Queen turned to her networks in Brazil, Sweden, and the United States.
– Without them, there would have been no Childhood. It wasn’t just about the financial support, but also that they believed in us. I want to say a big and warm thank you to them and to everyone else who has supported us over these first 25 years.
Since the beginning, Childhood has implemented over a thousand initiatives that have strengthened protection and reduced the risk of children being sexually abused. Is there anything that The Queen is particularly proud of?
– That we work on so many different levels. I started Childhood with the words “I have founded an organization. My greatest wish is to shut it down soon”. We have not been able to do that. But when I see how we have evolved, and that what we do gives children hope, I feel proud. Every now and then a mother comes up to me and thanks me. Those are nice moments.
The Queen continues:
– I am pleased that so many more people are active on this issue today. We must all continue to fight. We must never take children’s safety for granted.
Side by side for the safety of children
Princess Madeleine shares The Queen’s commitment to children’s rights. At the age of 17, the Princess became a patron of the Swedish organization Min Stora Dag, which works with children with serious diagnoses and illnesses. The Princess also began traveling with The Queen for Childhood at an early age and has worked at Childhood’s offices in both Sweden and the USA.
– As a mother, I was worried that it would be too hard for her, she was so young. But she wanted to do it and she has continued. She is very interested, involved and well prepared for the future in Childhood. It is touching.
It’s not an easy task to single out highlights of the things Childhood has achieved in these first 25 years. But there are certainly examples that have been crucial. The prevention project that successfully reduced child sexual exploitation along Brazil’s main roads is one. Or the early funding of software that blocks and prevents the distribution of child sexual abuse material is another. And the dissemination of the Barnahus model, which has become one of Childhood’s main missions.
Talking to children in the right way
Barnahus is a place for children who have been victims of violence and sexual abuse. Here the child receives the right support in a safe environment. Sweden’s first Barnahus, funded by Childhood, was opened in Linköping in 2005.
But it all started with a state visit to Iceland in 2004. The program included a visit to a Barnahus.
– I thought they wanted to show us an orphanage. When we got there and I saw what it was, I thought that they really understood how children who had been victims of crime should be treated. This was something we would take forward.
Childhood presented the model to Swedish politicians, the judicial system and child rights experts. There was great interest. But there were also those who thought it was unnecessary, who believed that children do not need adapted treatment and that they must be present in the courtroom in the same way as adults.
– It was frustrating. Children speak a different language. You must talk to them in a way they understand, and you must meet them in a child-friendly way. Children should not have to face their perpetrator in a courtroom. Thankfully, that has now changed.
In Brazil too, there is now a similar model but, more importantly, a law (2017) to ensure that children and young people that have been sexually abused and exploited should be interviewed in a child-friendly way. The law is a direct result of Childhood’s long-standing fight for children’s rights in the country.
In 2018, the first Barnahaus – Childhood-Haus – was inaugurated in Germany. Today there are ten currently in place with four more Childhood Haus’ underway. The aim is to have at least one Childhood-Haus in every state.
– Children’s voices must be heard and prioritized. It gives me hope that the Barnahus model now exists in so many places, not least in Ukraine.
In autumn of 2023, The Queen travelled to Poland together with Childhood’s staff and board members to meet Childhood’s partners from Ukraine.
– They are heroes in everything they do for children. Hearing their terrible stories was necessary and interesting. But emotionally, these meetings were the most difficult I have ever had.
If the Barnahus model gives the Queen hope, there is one thing that causes much concern.
– The children and the internet. And it’s called the Darknet for a reason. It’s so big, so many dark corners we can’t access. It’s not easy for kids but it’s not easy for parents either. I spoke to an expert about this, and she was very clear: as a parent, you need to be present. Sit with your child and be involved in what they do on the internet.
With the power to change
It is clear that The Queen never misses an opportunity to talk about children’s rights and vulnerability. Whether from the rostrum at the UN, or in informal meetings, the drive to spread knowledge and get more people involved is always present.
On one occasion, The Queen was invited to a meeting by President Lula da Silva of Brazil.
– I had the opportunity to talk to the President’s wife about the fact that corporal punishment is banned in Sweden. She was very interested. Three months later, the president gave a fiery speech against child abuse. There is a Brazilian saying that goes something like “If you think it’s for love, it won’t hurt”. In his speech, the President instead said that “If you think it doesn’t hurt, it still hurts your soul”.
The President’s speech was the start of a major national change effort that led to Brazil passing legislation against corporal punishment in 2014.
At the Global Child Forum in São Paulo in 2017, The Queen’s words prompted another Brazilian president to act.
– I gave a speech about what we are doing and that the law on child-friendly response and treatment must be approved. Suddenly, President Temer rushed onto the stage and shouted, “I’ll sign”. I was actually a bit shocked. But he did sign it.
The response to the statement that the Queen has impact is humbly brief:
– I don’t know about that. But I’m trying.
Photo: Jonathon Rees, 2019
Text: Petra Engström Alexander, 2024
Want learn more about Childhoods work? Read our Activity report for 2023.
