This needs to be taken more seriously as a public health issue, with focus on prevention and targeted support.

For the first time, the World Health Organization (WHO) has published a detailed analysis of the prevalence of physical and/or sexual partner violence experienced by 15–19-year-old girls who have been in intimate relationships. Nearly a quarter (24 per cent) – close to 19 million – will have experienced physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence by the time they turn 20 years old, according to the WHO analysis published today in The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health. 

“Intimate partner violence is starting alarmingly early for millions of young women around the world,” Dr Pascale Allotey, Director of WHO’s Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research department said. “Given that violence during these critical formative years can cause profound and lasting harms, it needs to be taken more seriously as a public health issue – with a focus on prevention and targeted support.”

As per the study, almost one in six (16 per cent) young women experienced such violence in the past year. Such partner violence can have devastating impacts on young people’s health, educational achievement, future relationships, and lifelong prospects. From a health perspective, it heightens the likelihood of injuries, depression, anxiety disorders, unplanned pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, and many other physical and psychological conditions.

Based on WHO’s estimates, the worst affected regions are Oceania (47 per cent) and central sub-Saharan Africa (40 per cent), while the lowest rates are in central Europe (10 per cent) and central Asia (11 per cent). Between countries, there is also a substantive range: from an estimated six per cent adolescent girls subjected to such violence in the least affected countries to 49 per cent in those with the highest rates.  

“The study shows that to end gender-based violence, countries need to have policies and programmes in place that increase equality for women and girls,” Dr Lynnmarie Sardinha, Technical Officer for Violence against Women Data and Measurement at WHO, said. “This means ensuring secondary education for all girls, securing gender-equal property rights and ending harmful practices such as child marriage, which are often underpinned by the same inequitable gender norms that perpetuate violence against women and girls.”

The study highlights the urgent need to strengthen support services and early prevention measures tailored for adolescents, alongside actions to advance women’s and girls’ agency and rights – from school-based programmes that educate both boys and girls on healthy relationships and violence prevention, to legal protections, and economic empowerment. 

Currently, no country is on track to eliminate violence against women and girls by the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal target date. Ending child marriage – which affects one in five girls globally – and expanding girls’ access to secondary education will be critical factors for reducing partner violence against adolescent girls.

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