Non-governmental organisation, ChildLink, is set to launch the Blue Umbrella Day (BUD) Campaign to raise awareness about the need for better care and protection of boys, particularly against sexual violence.

ChildLink’s Programme Officer, Sadia Persaud said the intention is to advocate to the United Nations to declare April 16 as the International Day dedicated to the prevention of Sexual Violence against boys.

The Programme Manager together with the ChildLink’s Communication Officer, Lucria Rambalak delivered a presentation at UN Guyana on the Blue Umbrella Campaign as part of a seminar.

“Today we come together in solidarity with a global movement that seeks to protect boys from abuse and advocate for their safety, wellbeing and rights. Blue Umbrella Day is more than a campaign. It is a vital reminder that boys too are vulnerable, and that their experiences must not be ignored or silenced. Abused against boys remain under reported and an often misunderstood issue,” Persaud said.

ChildLinK has been participating in BUD since 2021.

Between 2014 and 2024, a total of 459 boys under the age of 18 have accessed services from ChildLink.  All of the cases reported related to sexual abuse.

Renata Chuck-A-Sang, Co-chair of Civil Society National Reference Group (CSNRG), said it is important to put the spotlight on the issue of sexual abuse against boys.

“On this issue, I think we need to recognize that men and boys are also vulnerable, and we need to encourage persons to talk about the issue. We often say that men and boys are less vulnerable than girls because the reporting and the data says they are less vulnerable. But then we also have the position where less men and boys report, so, we are not sure that they are less vulnerable or they just report it less,” Chuck-A-Sang said.

Since 2021 ChildLink has been hosting a number of activities to raise awareness about the dangers of sexual abuse, and urge greater protection of boys.

One such activity was ChildLink’s Caring for Boys Programme, during which, it interviewed boys who were survivors of child sexual abuse to uncover harmful social norms that contribute to the sexual abuse of boys.

As part of the campaign this year, ChildLink is calling on Guyanese to  sign the petition to help declare April 16th, as an International Day dedicated to the prevention of Sexual Violence against boys.

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