In Ethiopia, for instance, 47 per cent of girls aged 15 to 19 years have undergone FGM compared to 75 per cent of women aged 35 to 49 years. The same trend has been observed for child marriage, with a decline from 58 per cent of women aged 25 to 49 years compared to 40 per cent of women aged 20 to 24 years. This will inevitably result in an increase in unintended pregnancies, child marriage, school dropouts and sometimes, maternal mortality. In East and Southern Africa, there are reports of increases in the incidents of sexual and gender-based violence including child marriage and FGM. Among the most vulnerable are adolescent girls aged 10 to 19 years with their limited negotiation skills within the family.

Source: Front Page Africa June 15, 2020 16:30 UTC