The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund has reported that sub-Saharan Africa is one of the most dangerous places for girls in the world.
According to the latest report obtained from X Handle on Thursday, the region has the highest number of victims with 79 million girls and women (22%), followed by East and Southeast Asia with 75 million victims. (8%). , 73 million people (9 percent) in Central and South Asia, 68 million people (14 percent) in Europe and North America, 45 million people (18 percent) in Latin America and the Caribbean, and 29 million people in North Africa and West Asia. people (15%), and 6 million people (34%) in Oceania.
UNICEF estimates that approximately 370 million girls and women worldwide endure sexual violence, with approximately one in five children under the age of 18 experiencing abuse in sub-Saharan Africa .
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said: “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 visualize the scale of the crisis, despite the inevitable gaps and underreporting.
Nairobi-based regional child violence expert Nankali Maqsud highlighted the far-reaching effects of abuse, saying: “It’s a multi-generational trauma.”
The trauma endured by survivors has significant implications for development efforts, especially education.
“We are promoting the admission of girls to schools, but girls who have been raped or assaulted have a hard time learning,” Maqsood said.
Regions facing conflict and insecurity, such as Sudan, have the highest rates of sexual violence, with aid agencies warning that ongoing conflict is putting women and girls at increased risk.
