Save the Children Finland, together with their corporate partner Telia, is organizing its annual hybrid seminar on child sexual abuse and prevention on Wednesday, November 18, 2026, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The event is free of charge and will take place in Helsinki and through livestream.
The hybrid seminar will offer attendees in-depth knowledge on issues related to child sexual abuse and to present concrete policy and implementation solutions for addressing this cross-border challenge. The event will offer insights into the latest trends of online child sexual abuse from top professionals, complemented by youth voices and a larger panel discussion. The in-person event will provide attendees with an opportunity to network and meet with different professionals and policy makers across the child protection sector.
The hybrid seminar is curated towards policymakers, politicians, and other key stakeholders involved in national and international legislative processes. Despite its policy focus the event is suitable for everyone interested in the topic of child sexual abuse prevention.
Note that attendance in person in Helsinki is limited due to venue capacity. The event is livestreamed and can be followed remotely. Registration is required for both in person and online attendees.
The event will be conducted in English. Interpretation will not be provided, and the event will not be recorded.
Date and time: Wednesday, November 18, 2026, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Location: Telia Headquarters (entrance from the street level of Tripla, 4th floor, Pasilan asema-aukio 1, Helsinki) / Livestream
We welcome you to share this invitation with your professional network.
Please notify us if you need to cancel your participation. This will allow us to offer your place to another participant and adjust catering arrangements accordingly.
For inquiries regarding the event and cancellations, please contact emma.poso@pelastakaalapset.fi
Preliminary Agenda
8.30 Registration and coffee (complimentary)
9.00 Welcome words & beginning of livestream
9.05 Opening words from Telia
Martina Lilius, Head of Sustainability, Telia
9.15 Save the Children Finland opening words
Heidi Näppi, Development Manager, and Veli Liikanen, Head of Advocacy, Save the Children Finland
9.35 The Changing Nature of Child Sexual Abuse Material: New Threats and New Responses
Emma Hardy, Director of Communications, Internet Watch Foundation
10.15 Child sexual exploitation and abuse in 2026: What youth are saying and what we are seeing
Emily Slifer, Director of Policy, Thorn
10.55 Q&A
11.05 Break
11.20 Are Consent and Pleasure Enough? Rethinking Sexuality Education Through Ethics of Care
Maria Vihlman, PhD, Specialist in Clinical Sexology (NACS)
11.50 Q&A
12.00 Lunch
13.00 Megatrends and the building of sustainable information environments for the future
Elina Kiiski-Kataja, Leading Expert, Foresight, Sitra the Finnish Innovation Fund
13.30 Industry perspectives
Speaker TBC
14.10 Q&A
14.20 Youth participation
Isa Stude, youth ambassador
14.40 Coffee break (complimentary)
15.10 Panel discussion: From Evidence to Collective Action: Shaping the Path Forward
With Maria Vihlman, Elina Kiiski-Kataja, Emily Slifer, Emma Hardy
16.00 End of event & Feedback survey
We reserve the right to make changes to the programme.
Speakers
Emma Hardy is Communications Director at the Internet Watch Foundation, where she has spent 15 years working at the intersection of technology, child sexual abuse and public policy. Her work has helped expose how digital technologies are used to facilitate sexual abuse and exploitation. A Chartered PR professional with more than 20 years’ experience across policing, local government, journalism and the third sector, Emma specialises in strategic communications, safeguarding and reputation in complex and sensitive environments. She has led national and international campaigns for children, families and educators, and built influential partnerships spanning technology, government and civil society. Emma is also Co-Director of the UK Safer Internet Centre, which provides education, support and advice to millions of children, parents and professionals each year.
Emily Slifer is the Director of Policy at Thorn, a non-profit organization that builds technology to defend children from online child sexual abuse. Prior to joining Thorn she worked for the UK Home Office in the British Embassy Washington. During this time she covered a wide portfolio that include child sexual abuse and exploitation, extradition, immigration, and science & technology. She has also worked in the European Parliament for the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET), the European Parliament Liaison Office in Washington, DC, and Centro UNESCO di Firenze. She has a MA in European Union Policy Studies.
Maria Vihlman, PhD, is a sex therapist and Specialist in Clinical Sexology (NACS) with extensive experience in sexual violence prevention. She works at the SeriE Centre of Expertise for the Prevention of Sexual Offending and is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Helsinki, where she studies sexual consent as part of the C-SPECT project. Drawing on her clinical and academic expertise, her current fields of interest include sexual ethics, digital sexual rights, and practical approaches to promoting sexual safety and justice.
Elina Kiiski-Kataja (PhD) is a long-term foresight expert with a long experience on megatrends and strategic foresight. She is specialized in the dynamics of technology, society and the future. She is also a founder of Digirauha ry, an NGO specialized in children’s technological future and the president of FAKTA-Foundation which builds medialiteracy and information resilience at the age of AI.
ATTENDING IN PERSON
Telia’s headquarters are located within Mall of Tripla in Pasila. The entrance is on the eastern side of the station hall on the 4th floor. After passing through the glass doors, please take the elevator to the 7th floor. Telia’s reception area is located directly outside the elevators.
At reception, each guest must register individually using a self-service check-in kiosk.
In addition to your personal information, the kiosk will ask for:
- Participant code → Select ”No code”
- Host/Organizer → Martina Lilius
Please note: Due to the limited number of check-in kiosks, registration may take longer than expected. We kindly recommend allowing extra time for registration upon arrival. staanotossa on vain kaksi (2) ilmoittautumisautomaattia.
