Girls in Emergencies:
Facts and Figures


Girls in Emergencies: Facts and Figures

Adolescent girls are largely invisible in the response to emergencies despite the fact that both their age and their sex will increase their vulnerability.

BACKGROUND

Disasters do not affect everyone equally, and neither does war. In times of upheaval, research shows that girls face a greater risk than boys of being kept away from the school bench, partly because they are increasingly subject to rape, trafficking and early marriage.

EDUCATION

In many countries girls are pulled out of school during disasters or conflict, and are unlikely to return.

SAFETY AND PROTECTION

Because of their sex and age, disasters and conflicts increase girls’ vulnerability when their families and communities are least able to protect them. This puts them at increased risk of rape or sexual violence, and child marriage may increase as parents try to cope with the crisis and protect their daughters as best as they can.

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