ISLAMABAD: As the International Day of the Girl is being observed on Friday to recognise girls’ rights and the unique challenges they face around the world, latest Unicef estimates reveal more than 370 million girls and women alive today experienced rape or sexual assault before the age of 18.

The first-ever global and regional estimates on sexual violence against children —published ahead of the International Day of the Girl — reveal the scale of the violation worldwide, especially for adolescent girls, often with lifelong implications.

When ‘non-contact’ forms of sexual violence, such as online or verbal abuse are included, the number of girls and women affected rises to 650m globally — or 1 in 5 — underscoring the urgent need for comprehensive prevention and support strategies to effectively address all forms of violence and abuse.

“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.”

Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest number of victims, with 79 million girls and women affected, followed by 75m in Eastern and South-Eastern Asia, 73m in Central and Southern Asia, 68m in Europe and Northern America, 45m in Latin America and the Caribbean, 29m in Northern Africa and Western Asia, and 6m in Oceania.

Survivors often carry the trauma of sexual violence into adulthood, facing higher risks of sexually transmitted diseases, substance abuse, social isolation, and mental health issues like anxiety and depression, as well as challenges in forming healthy relationships, evidence showed.

Published in Dawn, October 11th, 2024