July 03, 2023

298 – Ending Violence Against Children, with Stella Ayo-Odongo

34 minutes

Dr. Sandie Morgan is joined by Stella Ayo-Odongo from the director for Pathfinding Countries’ global partnership to end violence against children hosted by UNICEF. The two discuss the importance of advocacy and creating spaces where the voiceless can be heard.

Stella Ayo-Adongo

Stella Ayo-Odongo is the director for Pathfinding Countries’ global partnership to end violence against children hosted by UNICEF. She’s a child rights, child protection, social policy expert, and an advocate for social justice. Stella is a motivated leader and development practitioner with over 25 years of progressive experience in strategic leadership, development management, and program operations. She has extensive knowledge and experience advocating for vulnerable groups, such as the children, youth, and the elderly. Stella is a visionary Pan-African leader, as demonstrated in the founding of national and regional level movements for social justice, such as the African wide movement for the children, civil society organizations for peace in Northern Uganda, and the Uganda parliamentary forum for children, all of which have made significant contributions to voicing issues of the affected.

Key Points

Among the many forms of trafficking in the world, and in Uganda, is harmful cultural practices. While these practices are cultural traditions, they can often be harmful, therefore falling into trafficking.

37 countries have committed to jining the Pathfinding Initiative, meaning they have chosen to champion the cause to end violence against children. This has helped advocate for vulnerable groups and launch initiatives in each country, as it starts at the governing level.

The 7 INSPIRE Strategies include implementation and enforcement of laws, norms and values, safe environments, parents and caregiver support, income and economic strengthening, response and support services, and educational life skills.

To protect vulnerable communities, it is important not only to uplift the voices of those who have lived these experiences by advocating, but create spaces for them to speak as their voices can cause enormous change.

National Child Helplines have allowed for immediate reports to be made, and the Child Helplines of Uganda receives 1500 calls a day with 90% requiring immediate action. Child Helplines also help mitigate trafficking and have aided in the fight to stop child marriage.

Resources

Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children

Uganda Child Rights NGO Network

United States Agency for International Development

General Assembly of the United Nations

INSPIRE Strategies

Early Childhood Development Action Network

Uganda Child Helpline

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Transcript

Sandra Morgan 0:00

You’re listening to the Ending Human Trafficking podcast. This is episode 298, Ending Violence Against Children with Stella Ayo-Odongo.

Welcome to the Ending Human Trafficking podcast here at Vanguard University’s Global Center for Women and Justice in Orange County, California. My name is Sandie Morgan and this is the show where we empower you to study the issues, be a voice, and make a difference in ending human trafficking. Stella Ayo-Odongo is the director for Pathfinding Countries’ global partnership to end violence against children hosted by UNICEF. She’s a child rights, child protection, social policy expert, and an advocate for social justice. Stella is a motivated leader and development practitioner with over 25 years of progressive experience in strategic leadership, development management, and program operations. She has extensive knowledge and experience advocating for vulnerable groups, such as the children, youth, and the elderly. Stella is a visionary Pan-African leader, as demonstrated in the founding of national and regional level movements for social justice, such as the African wide movement for the children, civil society organizations for peace in Northern Uganda, and the Uganda parliamentary forum for children, all of which have made significant contributions to voicing issues of the affected. Stella, I’m really excited to meet you and I want to start by welcoming you to Vanguard University. It’s your first visit here so let’s start with the real reason why you’re here in my office at the Global Center for Women and Justice here at Vanguard University.

Stella Ayo-Odongo 2:28

Thank you. I happen to be having to travel to America on travel duty and my daughter, Melissa being here in California, I decided to just take a trip to California to surprise her at Vanguard University. So my mission was basically to come and surprise her unfortunately, like I told you, the surprise didn’t work out. But it was nice meeting, meeting with...

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