1 in 8 Girls globally face sexual violence, UNICEF report reveals
The United Nations Children’s Agency, UNICEF, has released staggering statistics on the prevalence of sexual violence against children worldwide.
According to their report, one in eight girls and young women globally have suffered rape or sexual violence, with sub-Saharan Africa bearing the grim distinction of having the highest number of victims.
In sub-Saharan Africa, an estimated 79 million girls, equivalent to one in five, have endured sexual assault or rape before reaching the age of 18, particularly in regions plagued by conflict and insecurity.
While girls and women are disproportionately affected, the report also highlights that approximately 240 to 310 million boys and men, or about one in 11, have experienced rape or sexual assault during childhood.
“Sexual violence against children is a stain on our moral conscience,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.
“It inflicts deep and lasting trauma, often by someone the child knows and trusts, in places where they should feel safe,” she said.
Numbers were highest in “fragile settings”, including those with weak institutions, where UN peacekeeping forces are present or where there are large numbers of refugees.
“We are witnessing horrific sexual violence in conflict zones, where rape and gender-based violence are often used as weapons of war,” said Russell.
The report revealed that Sub-Saharan Africa had the highest number of victims, with 79 million girls and women affected, followed by 75 million in Eastern and Southeastern Asia, 73 million in Central and Southern Asia, 68 million in Europe and Northern America, 45 million in Latin America and the Caribbean, 29 million in Northern Africa and Western Asia, and 6 million in Oceania.