Heidi De Pauw (born February 18, 1972, in Aalst, Belgium) is a human rights activist and former CEO of Child Focus, the Belgian Foundation for Missing and Sexually Exploited Children. Since September 2024 she has been country director of Enabel for Jordan, to manage the existing program there but also to develop regional approaches for the Near and Middle East. She is a regular keynote speaker, trainer, and expert for international programs on children's rights, missing and sexually exploited children, and children in conflict zones.[1][2][3]
Heidi De Pauw was born on February 18, 1972, in Aalst, Belgium. She has a master's degree in Criminological Sciences from the University of Ghent[4] and a degree in Human and Social Sciences from the University of Patras, Greece. She also has a degree in Business Administration from the EHSAL Management School in Brussels.[5][6][7]
Career
De Pauw began her career at the Home Affairs Prevention Service, managing safety and prevention projects related to drug abuse and disappearances.[8] Shortly after Child Focus was founded in 1998, she became one of the first case managers, assisting victims of disappearances and sexual exploitation and their families.[9][10] Three years later, she became study and development manager in the newly created Child Focus Study and Development department, where she developed and implemented national and EU prevention projects.[11][12]
As Secretary General of Eurochild, De Pauw led the European non-profit organization focussed on fighting child poverty and social exclusion.[13] In 2005, she became Director of PAG-ASA, a specialized center for victims of trafficking, where she served for six years.[14][15][16]
At the end of 2011, she returned to Child Focus as CEO.[17][18] De Pauw is former Deputy Chairwoman of Missing Children Europe, the European Federation for Missing and Sexually Exploited Children, and is now Special Representative of the Patron's Council of Missing Children Europe.[19][20] She is President of the Board of Minor Ndako and Juna vzw, a shelter for unaccompanied minors and underage victims of human trafficking.[21][22][23] She is a former board member of several organizations, including V-Europe,[24] and Tout Bien Okidoki.[25][26] She is a board member of the Queen Paola Foundation[27] and the VRT, the public broadcaster of the Flemish Community.[28][29][30] Also, she is a patron of WOMENPOL, the Belgian Network of Policewomen.[31]
Until May 2021, Heidi De Pauw was a Member of the Board of Directors of the National Lottery.[32][33] Since August 2022, she is a member of the advisory board of Debateville, a debate program.[34][35]
In 2022, Heidi De Pauw was appointed a Commander in the Order of the Crown for her contributions as CEO of Child Focus in the transfer of 40 Ukrainian disabled children and Belgian children from Syrian prison camps to Belgium.[36][37][38]
Since June 2023, Heidi De Pauw has been founder and vice-president of Antwerp Diamonds FC, a women's football club.[39][40] In December 2023, she joined the Board of Directors of INHOPE, the global network against CSAM.[41] In April 2024, Heidi joined the Biz Board Lotto Super League (Pro League).[42][43] In 2024, Heidi De Pauw left the position of CEO at Child Focus.[44][45]
Since September 2024 she has been country director of Enabel for Jordan, to manage the existing program there but also to develop regional approaches for the Near and Middle East.[citation needed]
De Pauw was a mentor in the program "Inspiring Mentor & Young Leaders" and an independent coach for "Gangmakers,"[46] the academy of talents of the Open VLD (Liberal Party).[47][48] She chaired the Parliamentary Working Group on the protection of children at the federal level, composed of field experts, representatives of Cabinets, and members of Parliament.[49][50] As an expert and trainer for ICMPD, she specializes in human trafficking and the sexual exploitation of particularly vulnerable groups, such as minors.[51][52][53]
Publications
Makri, O., & De Pauw, H. (1994). "Information on the Convention on the Rights of the Child in Greece", in: European Course on Children's Rights Gent, ICP-94B-114/10.
De Pauw, H. (2002). "De Verdwijning van niet begeleide minderjarigen en minderjarige slachtoffers van mensenhandel". ISBN 90-7118-01-2. Also published in English and French: "The disappearance of unaccompanied minors and minors, victim of trafficking in human beings". ISBN 90-7118-03-9. "La disparition de mineurs non accompagnés et de mineurs victimes de la traite des êtres humains". ISBN 90-7118-02-0.
De Pauw, H. (2002). "Child Focus. De cijfers." in: Seksuele Uitbuiting van Kinderen/L’exploitation Sexuelle des enfants, Custodes, Cahiers voor politie- en justitievraagstukken/thématiques de la police et de la justice, Politeia.
De Schrijver, I., & De Pauw, H. (2000). "Child focus. Het Europees Centrum voor Vermiste en Seksueel Uitgebuite Kinderen", in: Praktische Gids: De positie van het slachtoffer binnen de strafrechtspleging. ISBN 2-930287-12-8.
De Pauw, H. (2003). "De Verdwijning van niet begeleide minderjarigen en minderjarige slachtoffers van mensenhandel", Panopticon, 9-30.
Vermeulen, G., & De Pauw, H. (2003). "Missing and sexually exploited children in the EU. Epidemiological data", Antwerp-Apeldoorn, Maklu.
Schmidburg, T., De Pauw, H., & De Schrijver, I. (2003). "Directory of civil society organisations working in the field of missing and sexually exploited children", Antwerp-Apeldoorn, Maklu.
Vermeulen, G., & De Pauw, H. (2003). "Cooperation between civil society organisations and law enforcement services in the area of missing children. Possibilities and limits from a European legal perspective", Antwerp-Apeldoorn, Maklu.
De Pauw, H., & Habils, K. (2005). "Een groot geheim in een klein hoofdje", Garant (book as part of a project for primary education on sexual abuse).
De Pauw, H. (2005). "Mid-term review of the EU’s Lisbon Strategy threatens measures to counter child poverty", Children in Europe, 33.
Vermeulen, G., & De Pauw, H. (2005). "Introduction" & "Definitions of sexually exploitation of children and missing children. Epidemiological data in the new member states", in: Vermeulen, G. (ed.), "Missing and sexually exploited children in the enlarged EU", Antwerp-Apeldoorn, Maklu, p.11-18.
De Pauw, H. (2018). "Geen Paniek! Waarom we onze kinderen met een gerust hart kunnen loslaten…", ("No Panic. Why we can let children grow up in confidence"). Editor: Houtekiet.
De Pauw, H. (2016). Closing word in "Sterke meisjes huilen niet. Vijf jaar in handen van een tienerpooier" ("Strong girls don’t cry. Five years in the hands of teenage pimps") by Lore T. & Frauke Joossen. Editor: Lannoo.
De Pauw, H. (2022). Foreword in "Dijende Kringen. Kinderlokker zet buurt op stelten" ("Thigh Circles. Child molester disturb neighborhood") by Kris Vanhoeck. Editor: Ertsberg.
De Pauw, H. (2022). Contribution in "Een alledaags wonder. 50 verhalen over verbinding en betrokkenheid" (An everyday wonder. 50 stories about connection and commitment.) by Steven Eggermont, Peter Vermeersch ed. Editor: Lannoo Campus.
De Pauw, H. (2024). "Tussen Gruwel en Hoop. 30 jaar op de bres voor de rechten van minderjarigen.", ("Between Horror and Hope: 30 Years of Defending the Rights of Minors"). Editor: Borgerhoff-Lambrigts.
Related Research Articles
Miss Belgium is a national beauty pageant in Belgium. The winner of Miss Belgium automatically represents her country at the Miss World and Miss Universe pageants if the dates do not overlap.
The Gouden Griffel is an award given to authors of children's or teenagers' literature in the Netherlands.
Kinderen voor Kinderen is a Dutch children's choir maintained by public broadcaster BNNVARA.
De Kiekeboes is a comic strip series created by Belgian artist Merho in 1977. The series appears in Dutch. It is first published in the newspapers Gazet van Antwerpen and Het Belang van Limburg and then published as comic books by Standaard Uitgeverij. The series is the best-selling comic in Flanders, but is unsuccessful abroad, with only a few publications in French and English.
Willem Marcel (Wim) De Craene was a Flemish Belgian singer. His most famous songs were 'Rozane' (1975), 'Tim' (1975) and 'Breek uit jezelf' (1988).
RKSV Nuenen is a football club from Nuenen, Netherlands. The first squad of Nuenen is playing in the Sunday Hoofdklasse since 2016. The first women squad plays in the Hoofdklasse for women since 2014 or 2015.
Jacques Vriens is a Dutch children's author and playwright. He is known for his 1999 book Achtste-groepers huilen niet, which was twice adapted into a film. Vriens formerly worked as a schoolteacher and has written for the show Tien torens diep. In 2001 he was appointed to the Order of the Netherlands Lion by Queen Beatrix.
Marie "Rie" Cramer was a Dutch writer and prolific illustrator of children's literature whose style is considered iconic for the interwar period. For many years, she was one of the two main illustrators for a leading Dutch youth magazine, Zonneschijn (Sunshine). She also wrote plays under the pseudonym Marc Holman. Some of her work was banned during World War II because it attacked National Socialism, and she wrote for a leading underground newspaper during the war.
Joost Berman was a Dutch lawyer, judge, politician, poet, nonfiction writer, and editor.
Lydia Chagoll was a Dutch born dancer, choreographer, film director, screenwriter, writer and actress.
Fauzia Ilyas is a Dutch Pakistani speaker, political activist, and the president and co-founder of Atheist & Agnostic Alliance Pakistan. Ilyas, an open atheist and apostate of Islam, fled from Pakistan after receiving threats to her life and faced potential legal charges for blasphemy in Pakistan. Ilyas received asylum in the Netherlands, where she is now a critic of Islam and campaigner for feminism, secularism, and atheist rights in Pakistan.
Omroep Zeeland is a public broadcaster located in Zeeland, Netherlands. Founded in 1988, the media organization is active in television, radio, and internet. The audience is on average slightly older than that of the other Dutch regional broadcasters.
Bernard Gerrit "Burny" Bos was a Dutch film producer, screenwriter and children's book writer. He also worked as an actor in children's programs on radio and television.
The Boekenleeuw is a Flemish literary award for the best book in children's literature by a Flemish author. The award is given by Boek.be and the winner receives €2,500.
The Masked Singer is a Belgian reality singing competition television series based on the Masked Singer franchise which originated from the South Korean version of the show King of Mask Singer. It premiered on VTM on 18 September 2020. The first two series were hosted by Niels Destadsbader. The winner of the first series was Sandra Kim. The winner of the second series was Camille Dhont. The third and fourth series are hosted by Jens Dendoncker.
The Ha! van Humo is a yearly award offered since 1980 by the Flemish magazine Humo to the best television show of the year. The winner, chosen from 10 nominees, receives 5,000 Euro and a sculpted "H". In the first years, the show has also been given a few times to a TV maker and to a radio show instead of a television show. In 1997 and 2014 there were 2 winners, in 2012 no award was presented.
Anja Daems is a Belgian radio presenter and television host.
The duty to vote in Belgium belongs to all adult Belgians. EU citizens can vote in European and municipal elections. Other foreigners have local voting rights when they have lived in the country for more than five years. Attendance is compulsory for Belgians in Belgium, not doing so results in a fine, 3 fines equals the loss of civil rights.
Louise Elisabeth (Wies) van Groningen, was a Moluccan Dutch writer and story collector. She was active in the Black, migrant and refugee women's movement and in the Dutch Moluccan and Indonesian community. Her aim was to improve information for and about ZMV women. She wrote many stories about her ancestors, and encouraged Dutch Indonesian and Moluccan women and men to record the life stories of their ancestors.
Jinnih Beels is a Belgian politician and member of the Chamber of Representatives. A member of Vooruit, she has represented Antwerp since June 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
