www.punchng.com/news/250m-under-aged-girls-forced-into-marriage-unicef/

http://acadablog.com/250m-under-aged-girls-forced-into-marriage-unicef/

The United Nations Children Fund in its new compilation of
data revealing the magnitude of violence against adolescent
girls has said about 250 million girls are forced into
marriage before the age of 15.

The compilation incorporates a selection of global data
released throughout the year, detailing the impact violence
has on adolescent girls, their future, and that of their
communities and countries.

According to the statistics, almost one quarter of girls aged
15 to 19 worldwide (about 70 million) report that they have
been victims of physical violence since they were 15 years
old.

“Around 120 million girls under the age of 20 worldwide
(about 1 in 10) have experienced forced intercourse or
other forced sexual acts, and one in three ever-married
adolescent girls aged 15 to 19 (84 million) have been victims
of emotional, physical or sexual violence committed by their
husbands or partners,” UNICEF said.

Based on the data provided by the organisation, in some
countries, as many as seven in 10 girls aged 15 to 19 who
had been victims of “physical and/or sexual abuse had
never sought help,” with many of them saying they did not
think it was abuse or did not see it as a problem.
UNICEF added that worldwide, more than 700 million
women alive today were married before their 18th birthday.

The data also showed damaging perceptions on the
acceptability of violence, particularly among girls.
The report stated that globally, nearly half of girls aged 15
to 19 believe a man is justified in beating his wife or partner
under certain circumstances such as refusing to have sex,
leaving the house without permission, arguing, neglecting
the children or burning the dinner.

“These numbers speak to a mindset that tolerates,
perpetuates, and even justifies violence – and should sound
an alarm to everyone, everywhere,” the UNICEF Deputy
Executive Director, Geeta Rao Gupta, said.

To prevent violence against girls, the UN agency urged
countries around the world to make education accessible
for them, providing “critical life skills and supporting their
parents with “cash transfers to mitigate risks to girls.”

It also called for “changing attitudes and norms through
community conversations and strengthening judicial,
criminal and social systems and services.”

Speaking further, Rao Gupta noted that local solution
should be provided to the global menace against girls.

Staggering.