How Irish aid cuts put young African girls at risk

ON Friday last, Mary Robinson appealed to the Government not to make further aid cuts, citing the necessity of continuing to support efforts to tackle violence against women and girls in developing countries.

Last week in Malawi I heard first hand the hidden horror that many schoolchildren in developing countries face.

The pervasive nature of abuse and violence within school walls is a story that is all too familiar here at home. In poor countries, girls are the most vulnerable, often forced to have sex in exchange for good grades – a practice known as “sexual transmittable grades”.