In this interview I chat with Susan Bissell who is the Director at the Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children at UNICEF. Although this episode was recorded a few years ago (I know, I’m sorry I’m slow at editing), Susan’s insights on the work to eliminate violence against children is still highly relevant.
According to the Partnership, 1 in 2 children experience violence every year. Every 7 minutes a child dies as a result of violence and 10 million children are subjected to modern slavery. This interview covers how the Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children is working with various stakeholders around the world to reduce these numbers, some of the innovation in the space of child protection, resources and how you can get involved.
Susan's career has focused on the rights of children. Having spent over twenty-five years working in various capacities for UNICEF, as of January 2016 she is leading an emerging Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children. The primary purpose of the partnership is to "end abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children." From 2009 to 2015, Dr. Bissell served as Chief of Child Protection in UNICEF's Programme Division. Author of a number of research studies, she has worked with UNICEF in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India, Italy (at the Innocenti Research Centre), and New York City, and earned a PhD in public health and medical anthropology from the University of Melbourne in Australia. While completing her doctorate, she joined Trudie Styler and the Bangladeshi film team Catherine and Tareque Masud to produce the documentary "A Kind of Childhood," which has won awards and been screened widely. She holds a BA and MA from the University of Toronto.
On behalf of her UNICEF Child Protection colleagues, Susan Bissell has accepted awards including an honorary professorship at Barnard College/Columbia University, the Dr. Jean Mayer Global Citizenship award from Tufts University, the Flambeau D’or from Panathlon International, and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.