Protecting Children from Violence

Save the Children expresses deep alarm over the rapidly escalating and increasingly brutal violence against children in Zimbabwe. Recently, social media revealed a shocking rise in cases of children being sexually violated, beaten to death, burned, abducted or kidnapped thereby going missing, often at the hands of caregivers, relatives, community figures, or trusted adults.

Gender-based violence (GBV) is one of the most pervasive human rights violations of our time. Despite decades of activism, policy reform, and global campaigns like the 16 Days of Activism, progress remains painfully slow. Here we explore the scale of the crisis, the barriers to ending GBV, and the proven strategies that can accelerate change. It is a call to action: we cannot wait 300 years to achieve gender equality and end violence against women and girls.

Between 10 and 14 November 2025, Save the Children held a workshop based on the 'Girls Decide' approach as part of the ECHO CP project to empower girls in migration and displacement contexts. The event trained participants to promote mental resilience, practical skills, and community support, addressing critical protection issues such as GBV and CPI in northern Mozambique, and highlighting the importance of Safeguarding and PSEA.

Umran*, 52, has worked in Sudan for 10 years supporting Save the Children’s programmes in El Fasher and in Zamzam camp, where families have been living in famine conditions since August 2024. When fighting engulfed El Fasher last week, Umran witnessed unimaginable scenes of violence and loss. After the city fell, he walked for two days without stopping - out of fear of an ambush - together with other families and their children who managed to escape. He has now joined a team of Save the Children staff supporting families fleeing El Fasher to Tawila.

The announcement of a pause in hostilities offers a moment of hope for children and families in Gaza. But while it provides a brief respite, it is not enough.

The recent developments in Syria and what they mean for children.

As Syria faces a critical turning point with cautious optimism for the future, the needs of children have never been higher with an urgent increase in funding required to meet immediate needs, Save the Children said.