The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has revealed that Sub-Saharan Africa ranks as one of the most perilous regions for girls worldwide. According to a recent report shared on its X handle, the area is home to 79 million affected girls and women, accounting for 22 percent of the global total. In comparison, Eastern and South-Eastern Asia follow closely with 75 million (8 percent), while Central and Southern Asia report 73 million (9 percent). Other regions, including Europe and Northern America, Latin America and the Caribbean, Northern Africa and Western Asia, and Oceania, show varying figures, but none reach the distressing levels seen in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Globally, around 370 million girls and women have experienced sexual violence, with nearly one in five in Sub-Saharan Africa suffering abuse before they turn 18. UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell emphasized the moral implications of this crisis, stating, “Sexual violence against children is a stain on our moral conscience.”

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The data, compiled from national statistics and international surveys conducted between 2010 and 2022, seeks to illuminate the scope of the issue, acknowledging the challenges posed by underreporting and data gaps.

Nankali Maksud, a regional child violence specialist based in Nairobi, stressed the enduring impacts of such abuse, noting that “it is generations of trauma.” The psychological scars faced by survivors hinder their development, particularly in education. Maksud added, “We’re pushing to get girls into school, but a girl who has been raped or assaulted struggles to learn.”

Regions plagued by conflict and instability, like Sudan, report the highest rates of sexual violence, prompting aid agencies to raise urgent concerns about the increased risks faced by women and girls amid ongoing turmoil.