Schoolgirls face threats in over 70 countries

Girls in at least 70 countries have faced threats, violent attacks and other abuse for trying to go to school over the past five years, the UN human rights office has revealed. A report by the Geneva-based body noted that, despite some progress, girls still face difficulty getting an education in many countries around the world.

“Attacks against girls accessing education persist and, alarmingly, appear in some countries to be occurring with increasing regularity,” the authors found.

The report cites as examples the kidnapping of nearly 300 schoolgirls in Nigeria last year, the shooting of education activist Malala Yousafzai in 2012 and the forced removal of girls from schools by the Somali extremist group al-Shabab in 2010.

“According to UN sources, more than 3,600 separate attacks against educational institutions, teachers and students were recorded in 2012 alone,” the report said.

The authors warned that the attacks have a “ripple effect” that sends a signal to parents of other girls that schools are not safe.

The authors concluded that attacks against schoolgirls can not be prevented without addressing broader patterns of violence and discrimination against women and girls. They recommended devoting more money to helping ensure girls can go to school without the threat of violence.