WHO Study On Adolescent Girls:
A World Health Organization study published in the Lancet medical journal revealed that adolescent girls aged between 15 and 19 who have been in relationships have experienced physical or sexual violence.
- The survey was conducted with thousands of adolescent girls from 154 countries and regions.
Key Highlights of the WHO Study on Adolescent Girls:
- It reveals that nearly a quarter (24%) of adolescent girls who have been in a relationship have experienced physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence by age 20.
- Approximately 1 in 6 (16%) adolescent girls reported experiencing such violence in the past year.
- No country is currently on track to eliminate violence against women and girls by the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal (Goal 5) target date.
- The highest prevalence rates are in Oceania (47%) (e.g. 49% of girls reporting intimate partner violence in Papua New Guinea) and 40% in central sub-Saharan Africa (e.g. In the Democratic Republic of Congo 42% reporting intimate partner violence).
- The lowest rates are in central Europe (10%) and central Asia (11%).
- Higher rates of violence are found in lower-income countries, regions with fewer girls in secondary education, and areas where girls have weaker legal property ownership and inheritance rights.
- Child marriage significantly increases the risk of intimate partner violence due to power imbalances, economic dependency, and social isolation.
- According to the UN, 1 in 5 young women worldwide (19%) were married in childhood in 2022.
