The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund has reported that Sub-Saharan Africa is one of the most dangerous places for girls globally.
In its latest report obtained from its X handle on Thursday, the region has the highest number of victims, with 79 million girls and women affected (22 per cent), followed by 75 million in Eastern and South-Eastern Asia (8 per cent), 73 million in Central and Southern Asia (9 per cent), 68 million in Europe and Northern America (14 per cent), 45 million in Latin America and the Caribbean (18 per cent), 29 million in Northern Africa and Western Asia (15 per cent), and 6 million in Oceania (34 per cent).
UNICEF estimates that worldwide, around 370 million girls and women have endured sexual violence, with approximately one in five in sub-Saharan Africa suffering abuse before the age of 18.
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell stated, “Sexual violence against children is a stain on our moral conscience.”
The new data, compiled from national statistics and international surveys conducted between 2010 and 2022, aims to bring visibility to the scale of the crisis, despite inevitable gaps and underreporting.
A regional child violence specialist based in Nairobi, Nankali Maksud, emphasised the far-reaching impacts of the abuse, stating, “It is generations of trauma.”
The trauma endured by survivors has significant consequences on development efforts, especially education.
Maksud pointed out, “We’re pushing to get girls into school, but a girl who has been raped or assaulted struggles to learn.”
Regions facing conflict and insecurity, such as Sudan, see the highest rates of sexual violence, and aid agencies have raised alarms about the heightened risks for women and girls due to ongoing conflicts.
