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The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has identified Sub-Saharan Africa as one of the most perilous regions for girls, with 79 million women and girls affected by sexual violence, representing 22 percent of the global total. According to the latest UNICEF report shared on Thursday, the region has the highest number of victims globally.
Following Sub-Saharan Africa, other affected regions include Eastern and South-Eastern Asia with 75 million victims (8 percent), Central and Southern Asia with 73 million (9 percent), Europe and Northern America with 68 million (14 percent), Latin America and the Caribbean with 45 million (18 percent), Northern Africa and Western Asia with 29 million (15 percent), and Oceania with 6 million (34 percent).
Globally, UNICEF estimates that approximately 370 million girls and women have endured sexual violence, with one in five victims in Sub-Saharan Africa experiencing abuse before the age of 18.
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell condemned the violence, stating, “Sexual violence against children is a stain on our moral conscience.”
The report, based on data collected between 2010 and 2022, highlights the extensive impact of the abuse, though UNICEF acknowledges gaps and underreporting. Regional child violence specialist Nankali Maksud, based in Nairobi, emphasized the trauma that affects entire generations, particularly in conflict-prone areas like Sudan, where rates of sexual violence are highest.
Maksud noted, “We’re pushing to get girls into school, but a girl who has been raped or assaulted struggles to learn,” pointing to the detrimental effects of violence on development efforts, especially in education.
