Millions of children around the world are living with mothers who have experienced physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, according to a new UNICEF report, highlighting the wider impact of violence against women on children’s safety, health, and learning.
The first-ever regional analysis shows that one in four children, approximately 610 million globally, live in households where women face intimate partner violence. The report identifies Oceania, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Central and Southern Asia as regions with the highest prevalence.
“Children in Oceania, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Central and Southern Asia are most likely to live with a mother who has experienced violence by a partner, reflecting pervasive inequalities and global patterns of abuse faced by women,” the UNICEF brief states.
Oceania has the highest prevalence, with just over half of children, about three million—exposed to maternal partner violence. In Sub-Saharan Africa, 32 percent of children, or 187 million, are affected, while 29 percent in Central and Southern Asia—201 million children—face similar risks.
Other regions include Northern Africa and Western Asia at 26 percent (52 million children), Eastern and South-Eastern Asia at 21 percent (105 million), Latin America and the Caribbean at 19 percent (35 million), Europe and Northern America at 13 percent (28 million), and Australia and New Zealand at 5 percent (around 400,000 children).
UNICEF warns that exposure to violence harms children directly. “Children growing up in households where women experience violence are also much more likely to face physical or psychological aggression themselves, increasing the risk that they may carry violence into adulthood, either as victims or perpetrators,” the report says.
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell stressed the urgency of coordinated action. “Today, millions of women and children are living in homes where violence is a part of regular life. Women’s safety and autonomy are paramount to children’s well-being,” she said.
The report calls on governments and partners to invest in proven solutions, including survivor-centred services, school-based programmes promoting gender equality, and measures to tackle harmful social norms underpinning inequality and violence.
In Zimbabwe, violence against women remains a serious problem. According to UNFPA data, about 39 percent of women aged 15 and over have experienced physical violence, 12 percent have faced sexual violence, and 45 percent of women in relationships report intimate partner violence. Emotional abuse affects 35.9 percent of women during their lifetime.
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