The Philippines ranks 15th among 60 nations in addressing sexual violence against children and adolescents, global Index finds

Advocates call on the host nation of the upcoming 2nd Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children to take further action

• The 2026 Out of the Shadows Index ranks 60 countries, across six regions – together home to 83% of the world’s children – on national action to address childhood sexual violence.
• The Philippines ranks 15th globally with a score of 60.8/100, and is home to approximately 39.7 million children and adolescents.
• Advocates call for the Philippines to fully eliminate statutes of limitations for sexual violence against children and adolescents, and establish a National Survivors’ Council.

GENEVA, May 18, 2026 — The Philippines ranks 15th globally and and 5th within East Asia & the Pacific in the 2026 Out of the Shadows Index, a new global benchmark assessing countries based on the foundational laws, policies, and services necessary to address sexual violence against children and adolescents. The Index, researched and developed by Economist Impact with advocacy led by Together for Girls, assesses 60 countries representing 83% of the world’s children across 4 pillars: Governance and Accountability (coordinated national action); Prevention (child protection); Healing (high-quality care); and Justice (strong legal systems). The Index does not measure prevalence of such violence.

“Behind every data point in this Index is a child whose life has been shaped by violence,” said Elly Vaughan, who led the research at Economist Impact. “Governments have primarily built systems that respond to abuse after the fact, but too few are investing in stopping it before it happens.”

The Philippines’ scores on the four pillars are as follows:

• Governance and Accountability: 51.1/100
• Prevention: 46.7/100
• Healing: 60/100
• Justice: 69.2/100

“The Philippines is leading the way in nationally representative research on the prevalence of both in-person and online sexual violence against children, and has also launched the First Philippine Strategic Plan Against Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children and Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials (OSAEC and CSAEM) for 2025–2028,” says Bryanna Mariñas, Out of the Shadows Advisory Group Member and Founder, Global Youth-Led Movement on Ending Violence Against Children. “This leadership is further underscored by the Philippines’ role as the upcoming host of the 2nd Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children, reinforcing its commitment to advancing global action on child protection. Strengthening survivor leadership through a government-supported National Survivors Council and fully eliminating statutes of limitations for sexual violence against children are critical next steps in sustaining and deepening these efforts.” 

Together for Girls, the advocacy lead for the Out of the Shadows Index, identified recommendations for the government of The Philippines to strengthen its systems and response mechanisms, including:

• Fully eliminating statutes of limitations (prescription periods) for sexual violence against children and adolescents, including through amendments to RA 7610 and RA 11648 to remove existing 10–20 year limits even after survivors reach the age of majority.
• Strengthening implementation and long-term resourcing of the First Philippine Strategic Plan Against OSAEC and CSAEM (2025–2028), including investments in digital forensics, cross-border cooperation, survivor-centred services, and prevention efforts.
• Establishing a government-supported National Survivors Council to institutionalise survivor leadership in policy-making and strengthen meaningful participation in national child protection responses.

With a global commitment to eliminate childhood sexual violence by 2030 — and no country currently on track — the findings underscore the need for stronger prevention systems, sustained investment, and continued integration of survivor-informed policymaking.

Additional resources for advocates and governments can be found in the Out of the Shadows Index advocacy toolkit.

PRESS CONTACTS

For questions about the research, contact: media@economist.com

For questions about how to use the Index to drive advocacy and engagement efforts, contact: Christy Delafield christy@togetherforgirls.org 

Notes to editors:

Support and resources: If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, support is available. Find resources by country.

About the Out of the Shadows Index: The Out of the Shadows Index is the global benchmark of national governments' efforts to prevent and respond to sexual violence against children and adolescents. The Index is researched and developed by Economist Impact, with advocacy and engagement efforts led by Together for Girls.

It ranks 60 countries across 6 regions, which together are home to 83% of the world’s children. The Index scores countries across 23 indicators, covering laws, policies, programs, and services that a government should have in place to end sexual violence against children and adolescents in their country.

First launched in 2019 and updated in 2022, the 2026 edition marks its third iteration, and the 4th will be launched in 2027.

About the Out of the Shadows Index Philippines Data: There are 39.7 million children in The Philippines, which represents 8% of the region's total population under 18. 

The Philippines conducted a national baseline survey on violence against children in 2016, finding that 17% of children experienced sexual violence, and informing a number of recommendations to improve prevention of and response to sexual violence against children. 

Since then, The Philippines has strengthened its legal framework, showing particular global leadership in criminalizing online grooming of children for sexual purposes. The Philippines’ is one of only six countries to clearly define and criminalize online grooming of children for sexual purposes through its Anti-Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children Act and Anti-Child Sexual Abuse of Exploitation Materials Act of 2022.

The Committee on the Rights of the Child has recognized The Philippines as a Pioneer in Children’s Participation. For example, the government established a child consultation process during development of the 4th National Action Plan for Children (2023-2028) and convenes a National Committee on Child and Youth Participation.

The Philippines will host the 2nd Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children in November 2026.