JOHOR BARU: The Johor Women's League (Jewel) is set to organise two events in honour of United Nations' declaration of November 18 as the "World Day for the Prevention of and Healing from Child Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Violence."
A Survivors' Forum, titled "The Unexposed Truth- A Sharing of Survivor Stories" will be held on Nov 17 at the Ponderosa Golf & Country Resort, followed by the Jewel Butterfly Walk 2023 on Nov 18, at the Tunku Mahkota Ismail Youth Centre in Hutan Bandar Johor Baru (TMIYC), here.
The Survivors' Forum, supported by Ponderosa Golf and Country Resort, scheduled to be held between 4pm and 6pm, will be moderated by University of Reading Malaysia Associate Professor Dr Chung Kai Li.
It will feature adult survivors sharing their poignant experiences of child sexual abuse. The event aims to shed light on the survivors' journeys of realisation, healing, and recovery while drawing lessons from their tragic experiences.
The Jewel Butterfly Walk 2023, organised in collaboration with the Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA) and the Johor Baru City Council, will be held on Saturday (Nov 18) between 6.30am and 11am. The event, aimed at raising awareness about child sexual abuse, will see children aged between 7 and 12, participating in a 1km walk, followed by a Child Safety Learning Activity developed by Jewel and Sekola Baroka.
Teens and adults will embark on a 3.5km route, emphasising child safety through messages, placards, and social media sharing.
Johor Youth Advisor Khairy Jamaluddin will flag off the Jewel Butterfly Walk 2023, participating in both the adult walk and engaging in the children's activities.
Jewel president Thanam Visvanathan-Suresh said worldwide, 1-in-4 girls and 1-in-9 boys will become child sexual abuse (CSA) victims in their lifetime, thus the need for open discussions to combat it. The Butterfly Walk aligns with the Iskandar Malaysia Smart Healthy City and Community programme, contributing to a healthier community.
Jewel is a registered non-profit society actively championing Women's Empowerment and the Rights of the Child.Jewel engaged in the Kempen TinDAK campaign and strives to improve access to justice and support services for victims of child abuse, particularly child sexual abuse cases.