A Statistical Snapshot of Violence against Adolescent Girls

Overview

Every 10 minutes, somewhere in the world, an adolescent girl dies as a result of violence. Yet these deaths represent only the most extreme and irrevocable assaults in a long continuum of violence faced by adolescent girls on a daily basis, usually at the hands of people closest to them – caregivers, peers and intimate partners.

Violence can take many forms, including physical, sexual and emotional violence, and varies in its severity. While all adolescents may experience violence, being a girl presents unique vulnerabilities
– some with consequences that can last a lifetime . Gender discrimination, norms and practices mean that adolescent girls are likely to experience certain forms of violence, such as sexual violence, at much higher rates than boys. Girls are also more likely to be exposed to certain harmful practices, such as child marriage and female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) – both of which are direct manifestations of gender inequality.

Puberty intensifies the vulnerability of girls to violence. During the transition into womanhood, sexuality and gender roles begin to assume greater importance in how adolescent girls are viewed socially. Fr many girls, the first experience of sexual intercourse is unwanted or even coerced. Young brides face especially high risks of physical, emotional and sexual violence along with curtailed personal freedom and decision-making power. Puberty is also a time in which girls are more likely to engage in risky behaviours – such as drug and alcohol abuse and unprotected, unsafe sex – that increase their susceptibility to violence. Girls’ low status in society and within the family, along with the tendency of men and boys to wield power, especially over girls’ sexuality, are key factors in the high rates of violence against adolescent girls. When such factors remain at play into adulthood, they tend to reinforce recurring patterns of violence and the restrictions placed upon women.

Gender inequality contributes not only to the pervasiveness of violence against girls, but also to its acceptability. In some societies, for example, sexual violence, child marriage and FGM/C are not regarded as forms of violence, or even as problems to be addressed. And many girls themselves do not identify these violations as violence or abuse.

The right of adolescent girls to be protected from all forms of violence and discrimination is guaranteed under the convention on the rights of the child, its optional protocols and the convention on the elimination of all forms of violence against women. Moreover, many countries have legal frameworks that make sexual and physical violence against girls punishable by law. Similarly, child marriage and FGM/C are legally prohibited in many countries where these harmful practices still prevail. Ending the cycle of violence against adolescent girls, however, requires more than the passage and enforcement of laws and conventions. Systems and services need to be reoriented with a view to reducing the risk of harm to girls. For example, transportation options that emphasize safety and accessibility to girls need to be provided. Similarly, lighting, water and sanitation services need to be structured to give girls greater mobility and access to schooling, enabling them to establish essential daily routines.

Most importantly, girls must be empowered with the knowledge, skills, resources and options they need to reach their potential and serve as their own advocates. Educating girls and boys in an environment that is responsive to gender differences and free from all forms of violence, neglect and abuse is a key strategy in breaking the cycle of violence. Providing adolescent girls with life skills education can help them develop critical thinking, build self-esteem, communicate and negotiate effectively, and solve problems in a cooperative way. It can also build skills required to cope with violence if and when it does occur

Helping reduce girls’ vulnerabilities and expand their opportunities, including increasing their access to social, health and economic resources, is an integral component of empowerment.

Ending violence against adolescent girls involves action at every level. Governments, the private sector, civil society organizations, communities and ordinary individuals all have a role to play in stopping the cycle of violence and in contributing to the empowerment of adolescent girls .

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World Population Day – Investing in Teenage Girls

This year World Population Day sought to spotlight the need to invest in teenage girls. The graphics below show why investing in teenage girls is absolutely critical – not only for girls, but for the world.

1. There are more young people today than at any other time in human history.

Today’s generation of young people, those aged 10 to 24, accounts for around 1.8 billion of the world’s 7.3 billion people. In 1950, there were only 721 million people in this age range.

These young people are the future. Their choices, ideas and innovations will transform the world – but only if they are equipped with the right skills and opportunities.
Source: UN DESA, 2015 estimates

2. About nine out of ten of these young people live in less developed countries

A whopping 1.59 billion young people live in the developing world, where they are more likely to face poverty and lack access to health care and education.

Yet this is exactly where healthy, educated and empowered young people could make the most difference.

Source: UN DESA, 2015 estimates

3. And half of these young people face alarming vulnerabilities – because they are girls.

Violence against women and girls is one of the world’s most prevalent human rights abuses. Half of all sexual assaults are committed against girls aged 15 or younger. Studies show that about 20 per cent of women experienced sexual violence as girls.

Too often, these crimes go unpunished. They may even be tacitly endorsed by sexist attitudes and practices like child marriage.

Source: World Health Organization, 2016 

4. In developing countries, one in every three girls is married before reaching age 18.

A shocking one third of all girls in the developing world (excluding China) are married off while still children. This means the futures of 47,700 girls are derailed every day.

These girls often face a cascade of other human rights abuses. They are more vulnerable to physical and sexual violence. They are often pulled from school to take on domestic responsibilities. They are less able to advocate for themselves and their rights.

Source: UNFPA, 2016 estimates

5. Child marriage is often followed by pregnancy, even if a girl is not yet physically or mentally ready.

Every day, over 20,000 girls under age 18 give birth in developing countries – over 7 million a year.

Adolescent pregnancy is usually not the result of a deliberate choice. Rather, it is the consequence of an absence of choices. Girls who become pregnant tend to be poorer and to have little or no access to sexual and reproductive health care and information.

And pregnancy compounds their vulnerability, taking an enormous toll on their educations and future earning potential. It also vastly increases the risks to their health. In fact, complications from pregnancy and childbirth are the second leading cause of death among girls between 15 and 19 years old.

Source: UNFPA, 2015 estimates

6. But the solution to ending these human rights abuses is known: Empower girls.

When girls are valued as much as boys – when they are allowed to receive an education, when they live free of violence, and receive sexual and reproductive health information and care – they are able to stand up for themselves. Educated girls are more likely to delay marriage and pregnancy, and their future children are healthier. These girls are better able to meet their full potential, benefiting themselves, their families, their countries and the world.

We already see this happening. Since 1999, the number of countries with severe gender disparities in primary education has been cut by more than half. But girls continue to lag behind in secondary education: By 2012, out of all countries with data available, 63 per cent had yet to achieve gender parity in secondary school enrolment.

Source: Education for All, 2015

Much more must be done to protect teenage girls’ rights, and to ensure they have access to the same opportunities as boys.

“Governments everywhere need to invest in teenage girls in ways that empower them to make important life decisions and equip them to one day earn a living, engage in the affairs of their communities and be on an equal footing with their male counterparts,” said Dr. Osotimehin.

“A teenage girl whose rights are respected and who is able to realize her full potential is a girl who is more likely to contribute to the economic and social progress of her community and nation.”

– See more at: http://www.unfpa.org/WPD2016#sthash.52x9p5IK.dpuf