Early and forced marriages, teenage pregnancies and HIV/AIDS are undermining the health, rights and opportunities for girls in South Sudan, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has warned, in a new report launched today.

This year’s State of World Population report, states that of the 125 million 10-year-olds globally, 60 million are girls who are systematically disadvantaged at the global level as they move through adolescence into adulthood.

Doctor Wilfred Ochan, UNFPA’s Deputy country representative,  said the 2016 State of the World Population report is the first analysis of the relationship between supporting and investing in the health and well-being of girls as they approach puberty.

“In many parts of the world, when a girl reaches puberty, she is suddenly seen as a commodity that can be sold, traded and trafficked, whether for marriage, or child bearing, for free labor or sex, so age 10, is therefore a time when a girl’s life can go off track. So when that happens she may never realize her full potential in life,” said Dr. Ochan.

The report explains that practices that harm girls and violate their human rights, starting at age 10, prevent them from realizing their full potential as adults and from contributing to the economic and social progress of their communities and nations.

UNFPA urges governments to remove the barriers that hold 10-year-old girls back today, to help make sure the SDG agenda is a success. The report stresses that investments that empower 10-year-old girls can triple a girl’s lifetime income, increase a nation’s economic growth, and lead to a cycle of healthier, better educated children.

“Without their contribution, the United Nations Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and its accompanying 17 Sustainable Development Goals may never be achieved,” said Dr. Wilfred Ochan. He noted that “none of the SDG’s will be achieved by 2030 without building all the girl’s human rights capital and protecting their rights today.”

“If we really want to succeed in our sustainable development goals we must put the 10-year old girl’s health, safety, education and rights at the forefront of the development agenda,” he said.

Dr Ochan said that there is need to provide age appropriate, culturally sensitive information to young people adopted for their age on grounds that girls who have information on their reproductive and sexual health often delay sex, avoid sex and tend to complete education.

“By ensuring girls right to education, including age appropriate comprehensive sexuality education and access to youth friendly sexual and reproductive health services and advice, we could improve the lives of hundreds of thousands, reap long term gains, and help ensure the success of 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”

“We need to get the girl to get in school and stay in school. Here the girl herself, the family the community, the school system, the development partners has a critical role to support and make sure that this girl realizes her future dreams.”   

The UNFPA deputy country representative said in many parts of the world, change for the girls is only possible when boys and men are part of the solution. “This 10-year old girl can thrive and help in bringing about the future change we all want, her future is our responsibility,” Dr. Ochan concluded.