About 19 million teenage girls who have been in a relationship will have face physical or sexual violence from their intimate partner by the time they turn 20 years old, a new analysis from the World Health Organization (WHO) has revealed.

The analysis found that almost 1 in 6 (16 percent) experienced such violence in 2023.

It also shows that intimate partner violence against adolescent girls is most common in lower-income countries and regions, in places where there are fewer girls in secondary school, and where girls have weaker legal property ownership and inheritance rights compared to men.

Child marriage (before the age of 18 years) significantly escalates risks, since spousal age differences create power imbalances, economic dependency, and social isolation – all of which increase the likelihood of enduring abuse.

“Intimate partner violence is starting alarmingly early for millions of young women around the world,” Pascale Allotey, director of WHO’s Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research department said in an official statement. “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.”

Partner violence can have devastating impacts on young people’s health, educational achievement, future relationships, and lifelong prospects, according to experts.

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.

The study gathered existing data on the prevalence of physical or sexual partner violence experienced by 15 to 19-year-old girls who have been in intimate relationships, to provide the analysis.

It also identifies broader social, economic and cultural factors that increase their risks.

While violence against adolescent girls occurs everywhere, the study highlight significant differences in prevalence.

Based on WHO’s estimates, the worst affected regions are Oceania, 47 percent, and central sub-Saharan Africa 40 percent, for instance, while the lowest rates are in central Europe 10 percent and central Asia 11 percent.

Between countries, there is also a substantive range: from an estimated 6 percent adolescent girls subjected to such violence in the least affected countries, to 49 percent in those with the highest rates.

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. Since many adolescents lack their own financial resources, they can face particular challenges in leaving abusive relationships.

“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,” said study author Lynnmarie Sardinha, Technical Officer for Violence against Women Data and Measurement at WHO. “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.”

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 1 in 5 girls globally– and expanding girls’ access to secondary education will be critical factors for reducing partner violence against adolescent girls. (BusinessDay)

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