Sexual violence against girls hinders education in West Africa

Child rights advocates in West Africa are facing the dilemma of how to boost the number of girls getting an education while reducing sexual violence in school. Sexual violence at school is much more widespread in the region than previously thought because families and education authorities often hide or tolerate the problem, a UNICEF official said. The worst abuses occur in secondary schools, where enrollment of girls is less than 10 percent in some countries. Read more about the problem at the IRIN website.