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An additional 13 million girls could be forced into marriage and 2 million more girls could undergo FGM in the next decade if services and programmes designed to stop the practices remain shuttered for months, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) said in the report.
Already this year, some 4.1 million girls will be subjected to FGM, the UN said. Around 33,000 girls under age 18 are forced into marriage every day, usually to much older men.
More than 140 million females are "missing" in the world today because of an extreme preference for sons over daughters in some countries, fuelling prenatal sex selection or extreme neglect that leads to baby girls' deaths, UNFPA said.
The UN sexual and reproductive health agency's report identifies harmful practices inflicted on girls and women, ranging from breast ironing to virginity testing and accusations of witchcraft.
"Harmful practices against girls cause profound and lasting trauma, robbing them of their right to reach their full potential," UNFPA director Natalia Kanem said in a press release. "We must tackle the problem by tackling the root causes, especially gender-biased norms."
Already this year, some 4.1 million girls will be subjected to FGM, the UN said. Around 33,000 girls under age 18 are forced into marriage every day, usually to much older men.
More than 140 million females are "missing" in the world today because of an extreme preference for sons over daughters in some countries, fuelling prenatal sex selection or extreme neglect that leads to baby girls' deaths, UNFPA said.
The UN sexual and reproductive health agency's report identifies harmful practices inflicted on girls and women, ranging from breast ironing to virginity testing and accusations of witchcraft.
"Harmful practices against girls cause profound and lasting trauma, robbing them of their right to reach their full potential," UNFPA director Natalia Kanem said in a press release. "We must tackle the problem by tackling the root causes, especially gender-biased norms."
