How Canada helps protect child survivors of sexual assault

Warning: Contains a first-person account of sexual assault on a child which some might find triggering.

“For a child, being heard can be the first step toward safety,” says José Macaringue of World Vision Mozambique.

He’s wearing an orange shirt for his interview with Asas, a Mozambican TV program, also streamed on YouTube to families across the country. It reassures young survivors of sexual violence that help is waiting for them.

“Before, people rarely came forward to report such violence,” José tells his interviewer. “Many families suffered in silence.”

The Canadian-funded Every Girl Can project is helping to change that. The program exists to reduce sexual and gender-based violence against girls and to advance their God-given rights.

And today, the silence José mentioned is breaking. Girls and their families are finding support through stronger local systems and coordinated services. And more children feel safe to speak out.

Working together for justice

Though I chose a hopeful photo to introduce this story, the reality for girls in remote areas of Mozambique is sometimes very dark.

José’s interview shares the account of a 10-year-old girl named Amina (name changed for her protection) who went to bathe in her local stream. Seeing that the coast was clear, she began washing.

A man was watching from the bushes and came forward to attack the child.

“He squeezed my neck, covered my mouth,” Amina shared when reporting the crime. “I wanted to scream … but he said if I screamed, he would kill me.”

Some nearby women saw what was happening and tried to stop the rape. When the man also threatened them, they ran to alert Amina’s father. By the time her dad arrived, out of breath, the perpetrator had already fled. Amina was alone.

This crime might have gone nowhere, with the young survivor suffering silently for the rest of her life without aid or recourse.

But thanks to awareness made possible through programs like Every Girl Can, people in her community quickly organized, searched for and captured the man.

After comforting and reassuring her, Amina’s family took her to the District Services for Health, Women and Social Action. The office coordinates girls’ and women’s health programs, including the prevention of—and response to—sexual and gender-based violence.

As Amina discovered, they also provide primary medical care for survivors of sexual violence.

Plus, she only needed to give her harrowing account once. Girls and women don't have to answer countless repeats of, "Can you tell me what happened?"

Survivors' first and only report is shared among professionals in place to provide help. They work together to offer coordinated care, instead of sending suffering girls and young women from one department to another.

Amina’s father also received help reporting the case to the police and the “mobile court." The travelling arbiter of justice visits communities like Amina’s, hearing cases and pronouncing sentences.

When the mobile court arrived in Amina’s neighbourhood, her attacker was sentenced to eight years in prison which he is now serving.

Teaching girls’ rights—and the way to report

Amina’s situation was unusual in that her attack had witnesses who immediately alerted her father. But what of girls and women assaulted when no one is looking?

Even in Canada, survivors of sexual assault are often afraid to come forward. But, experts in our country are working to improve the care and support they receive.

And now, through Every Girl Can, so is Mozambique.

Thanks to the five-year grant from Global Affairs Canada, World Vision Mozambique teams and their partners (government workers, police, and service providers) have been visiting communities around Monapo, Murrupula and Nacarôa districts, to:

1. Educate people about the rights of girls and women.
2. Explain what constitutes sexual and gender-based violence.
3. Equip people to recognize and report incidents of violence.
4. Clarify which parts of governments are responsible for responding to abuse.
5. Teach how to report abuse or refer survivors for support.
6. Promote the meaningful participation and leadership of adolescent girls and young women in decisions and actions affecting their safety and well-being.

Every Girl Can is turning child protection into practical steps that parents, neighbours, teachers and leaders can take when girls—both today’s and tomorrow's—are at risk. Thousands of people we’ve reached can now:

Recognize and report incidents of violence: If someone becomes aware of a woman or girl experiencing physical or sexual violence, they're encouraged to report the incident (or encourage the survivor to report) to the nearest police station, the District Services for Health, Women and Social Action or the closest Family and Minors Victims Support Office.

Use Access helplines and support services: Community members can also seek assistance through the national support helplines, including Linha Verde (Green Line) and Linha Fala Criança (Child Helpline Mozambique). Both provide free and confidential support to children and young people experiencing abuse, violence, or other forms of harm.

Change that’s visible … and measurable

The breakthrough news for girls and their families? There’s been a perceptible change to the power balance which has traditionally left survivors helpless.

“ Every Girl Can has recorded a shift in community awareness,” notes World Vision Canada’s Francesca Olusola, who managed implementation of the Every Girl Can grant funds.

“More people—men and boys, not just women and girls—are recognizing incidents of violence, and understanding the importance of reporting them," she says. "The confidence to report has increased over the life of the project."

Mozambique’s government is also growing in awareness. In April of 2025, along with Every Girl Can, they established the first Integrated Assistance Centre in Murrupula district.

One year later, the centre had served 36 adolescent girls and young women who'd survived violence and sexual assault and needed support. That number promises to grow as the centre continues to operate.

The experience in Murrupula shows what's possible when communities, government institutions and frontline services work as one child protection system.

With stronger local leadership, clearer referral pathways and more accessible services, Every Girl Can is helping turn awareness into action—and action into protection for girls.