6th March, 2024
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says adolescent girls in developing countries continue to face the risk of sexual violence.
UNICEF’s Bauchi Field officer, Tushar Rane, said this at a media dialogue to commemorate the 2024 International Women’s Day on Wednesday in Gombe.
According to Rane, one in seven girls in developing countries is married before reaching the age of 15.
He, however, said that investment in the health, rights and well-being of adolescent girls generates a transformative ripple effect to uplift entire nations.
“Nearly half of adolescent girls in UNICEF programme countries suffer from anaemia and lack of access to essential health and nutrition services in the event of pregnancy,” he said.
According to him, if the trend persists, the number of girls and women living in extreme poverty in sub-Saharan Africa is projected to increase by 2030.
The UNICEF Chief explained that providing adolescent girls with the necessary support, access and opportunities to realise their potential would enable them to become formidable agents of change.
International Women’s Day (IWD) is a global day celebrated annually on March 8 as a focal point in the women’s rights movement.
It focuses on issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, violence and abuse against women.