About the Index

 “Violence against children is not inevitable — it is preventable. Addressing it requires coordinated action across systems, sectors, and societies. The Out of the Shadows Index provides the accountability needed to mobilize collective action and accelerate progress toward ending child sexual exploitation and abuse."

Arturo Harker Roa, PhD, is an Associate Professor of the School of Government at the Universidad de los Andes. He completed his PhD in Economics at the University of California, Los Angeles. His expertise lies in applied microeconomics and quantitative public policy evaluation. 

In the last three years, his research agenda has focused on studying the impact of adverse childhood experiences, such as exposure to crime, violence, and forced displacement, and trauma on the development of cognitive, social, and emotional abilities. Dr. Harker focuses on the design and evaluation of interventions that help mitigate this impact. 

"The Out of the Shadows Index offers a strategic roadmap for action, helping countries move from assessment to implementation in building more effective responses to end violence against children."

Bernadette J. Madrid, MD is the Director of the Child Protection Unit (CPU) of the University of the Philippines Manila – Philippine General Hospital, where she is concurrently Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics. 

She is the Executive Director of the Child Protection Network Foundation, Inc., an NGO that supports the training of Child Protection Professionals and the development of Women and Child Protection Units in the Philippines. 

She has been a consultant and trainer for various international agencies, including UNICEF, WHO, UNESCAP, and UNFPA. 

"I am both proud and humbled to have represented the CSO Forum in the development of the new iteration of OOSI, which has the potential to revolutionize how accountability works in the context of sustained efforts to eliminate sexual violence against children."

Brikena is the Senior External Engagement Advisor for Global Child Protection and Participation at World Vision International. She coordinates the CSO Forum and co-leads the Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action.

"I am proud to have contributed to this new iteration of the Out of the Shadows Index, ensuring young people's perspectives and priorities are reflected in this global framework."

Bryanna Mariñas is the Founder of the Global Youth-Led Movement on Ending Violence Against Children, the first initiative of its kind to unite youth efforts in child protection, empower young people to break the cycles of violence, and strengthen youth leadership in decision-making. She drives youth initiatives across advocacy, policy engagement, and programme design to advance child protection practice regionally and globally. In the Philippines, she develops and adapts evidence-based parenting programmes through Masayang Pamilya to reduce child maltreatment in low-resource settings. Bryanna holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Yale-NUS College in Singapore.

"Too often, the perspectives of those directly impacted by childhood sexual violence are missing from the policies designed to address it. With a global commitment to eliminate childhood sexual violence by 2030 and no country on track, we need to bring lived experience into decision-making alongside science and practice. We will not get this right without it.”

Dr. Daniela Ligiero is the CEO and President of Together for Girls (TfG), a global partnership dedicated to ending violence against children and adolescents, especially sexual violence. Under her leadership, TfG uses a comprehensive, interconnected approach that aligns data, solutions, accountability, and advocacy to drive systemic change.

Previously, Dr. Ligiero served as Vice President of Girls and Women’s Strategy at the UN Foundation, where she developed the organization’s first gender integration strategy. She also held senior roles at the U.S. Department of State, where she helped launch the first U.S. global strategy to end gender-based violence and co-designed the PEPFAR DREAMS initiative—one of the largest global investments in adolescent girls’ health.

Through her leadership, advocacy, and lived experience, she continues to advance global efforts to ensure children and adolescents can grow up safe, supported, and free from violence.

"It has never been more important to shine a light on how countries are responding to childhood sexual violence. The Out of the Shadows Index can drive meaningful change and protect children around the world."

Professor Deborah Fry (MA, MPH, PhD) has over 25 years of experience in researching violence against children. She is a Chair in International Child Protection Research at the University of Edinburgh. At the University, Professor Fry is the Global Director of Data and PI for Childlight – Global Child Safety Institute, where she leads research teams to better understand the prevalence and nature of child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA) globally and leads the world’s first index on CSEA prevalence. 

"Together we can influence policy, place this important issue front and centre on government agendas, and unlock much-needed resources to support grassroots work."

Elsa Marie D’Silva is the Founder of the Red Dot Foundation - SafeCity team in India and the USA. 

She is a trained counselor in both the directive and non-directive counseling methods. She is a Yale World Fellow, an Aspen New Voices Fellow, a Vital Voices Lead Fellow, a mentee at the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women in Business, and an alumna of the Stanford CDDRL, Swedish Institute.

She won the Vital Voices Global Leadership award in 2017 and the Female Entrepreneur Award by European Angel Investor Dusan Stojanovic in July 2015.

"The Out of the Shadows Index is an important step in measuring, understanding, and addressing one of the most far-reaching and urgent issues of our time."

Louis Lunts is Partner and Managing Director at New York-based creative agency cummins&partners. His belief in the transformative power of creativity has driven dozens of globally-renowned advocacy campaigns on issues spanning disability inclusion, suicide awareness, healthcare, and childhood violence.

"We are the first generation in history that can prevent childhood sexual violence. New, effective, low-cost programs can reach entire populations. Evidence shows this will benefit health, education, and national GDP. Now is the time."

Professor Lucie Cluver, OBE trained as a social worker and has practised in South Africa and the UK. In tandem with her Oxford Professorship, she is (since 2009) an Honorary Professor in Psychiatry and Mental Health at the University of Cape Town. She works closely with the South African government, UNICEF, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), USAID-PEPFAR (United States Agency for International Development/President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other international agencies, to provide evidence that can improve the lives of children and adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa.

Professor Cluver has an exceptional track record of impact, and in recent years has been selected as a winner of: the European Research Council Public Engagement with Research Award 2024; the University of Oxford Vice Chancellor’s Innovation Award 2022; the International AIDS Society Excellence in Research with Children Award 2022; the UK Research and Innovation International Impact Award 2021; UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Women in Science (2021); the European Union Horizon 2020 Impact Award.

In 2019 she was recognised as one of UKRI’s 15 Women with Impact in Research, was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in 2023, and in 2025, she was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the King’s Birthday Honours for her services to children’s wellbeing and to global public health.

"The Out of the Shadows Index is a powerful advocacy tool for countries to prioritize international standards and advance equal protection for every child, everywhere."

Paula Wachter is the Founder and Executive Director of Fundación Red por la Infancia, an Ashoka social entrepreneur, a member of the Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children, and a member of the INSPIRE Working Group.

She was recognized as an outstanding personality in the field of Human Rights by the Buenos Aires City Legislature and, at the international level, received the first award for social innovation in Human Rights in Latin America by Ashoka Changemakers and the Ford Foundation.

She is also a permanent member of the Skoll World Forum and a fellow of the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR).

"Countries need to see the painful reality of childhood sexual violence. The Out of the Shadows Index is a great tool to track evidence-based solutions and develop better systems of care."

Ms. Pragathi Tummala is a senior public health leader and Chief Executive Officer of ISPCAN (the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect), a global nonprofit organization advancing research, professional training, and multidisciplinary collaboration to prevent child abuse and neglect worldwide. She has led ISPCAN for the past ten years, overseeing its global strategy, programs, operations, and financial sustainability.

Pragathi directs two peer-reviewed scientific journals, partnerships across 54 countries, and active collaborations with 21 international agencies. 

"The Out of the Shadows Index addresses the weak systems for preventing chilhood sexual violence by comparing the prevention capacity of each country and making it politically actionable."

Saba Lishan is a development professional with over 25 years of experience in advancing child protection and gender equality. She currently serves as the Coordinator of the African Partnership to End Violence Against Children (APEVAC) at the African Child Policy Forum (ACPF). Throughout her career, Saba has played a central role in the design, implementation, and management of programmes addressing the most pressing challenges facing children in Africa. Her work is deeply rooted in strengthening child protection systems, promoting accountability, and advocating for the realization of every child’s right to a life free from violence and neglect.

The Out of the Shadows Index helps build a future in which no child is left unprotected - and where, in the long run, no child will ever again suffer the trauma of sexual violence.

Sabine Rakotomalala, a child psychologist with over 25 years of experience in child protection and psychosocial support, works at the WHO’s Violence Prevention Unit. Previously with UNICEF, Terre des hommes, and the Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children, she led major child protection and violence prevention initiatives such as the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Network (2007), the development and implementation of the Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action (2012), the development and implementation of the INSPIRE: Seven strategies for ending violence against children technical package (2016) and the Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children (2025).

"The Out of the Shadows Index offers evidence for addressing childhood sexual violence that cannot be ignored. It stimulates action, investment and inspires accountability."

Sendrine Fabie Constant is the Director of Programmes of ECPAT International. She has +25 years of experience in child protection and addressing child sexual abuse and exploitation and worked globally as well as in Asia, Africa and South-Eastern Europe.

"The Out of the Shadows Index makes sexual violence - the most hidden violations of children’s rights - visible. It aligns advocacy, policymaking, and investment around real action."

Serena Tommasino is the Senior Technical & Advocacy Lead at Safe Online. She has 20 years of experience working at the intersection of violence prevention, technology, and evidence-informed practice to advance better outcomes for children and young people. Her work spans advocacy, policy, programmes, and partnerships across the UN system, the European Union, philanthropy and CSOs in the USA, UK, Eastern Africa, North Africa, and South Asia. Serena is deeply committed to ensuring that all children can thrive in safe and nurturing environments, including digital ones. She holds an MA with Distinction in Sociology and a Research Fellowship on Culture & Technology at the University of Toronto.