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Girls' rights
Statistics

3 girls walking down a road 3 girls walking down a road

EACH YEAR, APPROXIMATELY 12 MILLION GIRLS UNDER 18 WILL BE MARRIED; THAT’S 32,877 EACH DAY, NEARLY 1 GIRL EVERY 2 SECONDS.

Child, early or forced marriage impacts the lives of millions of girls around the world. Child marriage violates girls’ human rights, and can jeopardize their education and their health.

Source: UNICEF

Globally, more than

130

million

girls are not attending primary or secondary school.

Every day, girls around the world are denied their right to education, and the knowledge, skills and opportunities to create a better, brighter future.

Source: UNESCO’s Institute for Statistics

Approximately

2

million

girls under age 15 become pregnant every year.

Pregnancy before a girl is physically, developmentally and socially ready jeopardizes her right to a safe, successful transition into adulthood.

Source: UNFPA

Complications during Pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of death for 15- to 19-year-old girls globally.

Complications during pregnancy and childbirth put the lives of adolescent girls at risk, as well as their babies. Getting pregnant while still very young increases the risk of premature labour, complications during childbirth, and death of newborns.

Source: World Health Organization

 

99%

of all maternal deaths occur in developing countries.

The risk of maternal death is highest for adolescent girls under 15 years old and more than half of maternal deaths occur in fragile and humanitarian settings.

Source: World Health Organization

Approximately

2.7

million

newborn babies die every year.

The top causes of neonatal death are prematurity, complications during birth and severe infections. Three quarters of these deaths are preventable.

Source: World Health Organization

In 2016, new HIV infections among adolescent girls were 44% higher than they were among boys in the same age group.

While the rate of new HIV infections is declining overall, young women are disproportionately impacted globally. Child brides are at much greater risk of contracting HIV because they are often disempowered and isolated.

Source: UNAIDS

Approximately

16

million

girls aged 15 to 19 years give birth each year.

Child marriage is a main contributing factor to adolescent pregnancy. Nine out of ten births to girls aged 15-19 occur within marriage.

Source: UNFPA

An estimated

60%

of undernourished people worldwide are women or girls.

In many societies, women and girls eat the food remaining after the male family members have eaten. This “food discrimination” can result in chronic under nutrition and poor health.

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

For every extra year a girl stays in school, her income can increase by 11%

When girls are educated, they have the knowledge, skills and opportunities to create a better, brighter future for themselves and everyone around them.

Source: World Bank report: Missed Opportunities: The High Cost of Not Educating Girls.

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