Media Update-2: United Nations Pakistan, 26 November 2025

UNICEF

PRESS RELEASE

Children’s exposure to intimate partner violence against their mothers pervasive worldwide – UNICEF

First-ever regional analysis shows that over half of children in Oceania and around a third in both sub-Saharan Africa and Central and Southern Asia are victims of violence in the home

NEW YORK, 26 November 2025 – Children in Oceania, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Central and Southern Asia are most likely to live with a mother who has experienced physical, emotional, or sexual abuse by a partner in the past year, reflecting pervasive inequalities and global patterns of abuse faced by women, according to new UNICEF data.

The data brief is released following updated global estimates on violence against women published by WHO, on behalf of the UN Violence Against Women Inter-Agency Working Group on Estimation and Data. According to the interagency estimates, over 1 in 10 adolescent girls and women (aged 15 and older) have been subjected to physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner in the past 12 months.

UNICEF’s findings underscore how this violence extends to children globally, with 1 in 4 children – around 610 million – living with mothers who are experiencing intimate partner violence.

“Today, millions of women and children are living in homes where violence is a part of regular life,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “Women’s safety and autonomy are paramount to children’s well-being.”

For the first time, regional data reveal where women and children are most at risk, showing that children’s exposure largely mirrors geographical patterns of partner violence among adolescent girls and women.

According to the analysis, Oceania has the highest prevalence, with just over half of children – 3 million – living with a mother who has recently experienced intimate partner violence. Sub-Saharan Africa has the second highest prevalence at 32 per cent, affecting 187 million children. Central and Southern Asia, where 29 per cent of children in the region are exposed, accounts for the largest share of the global burden, totaling 201 million children.

Additional regional findings on children’s exposure to intimate partner violence include:

• Northern Africa and Western Asia: 26 per cent, or 52 million children.
   
• Latin America and the Caribbean: 19 per cent, or 35 million children.
   
• Eastern and South-Eastern Asia: 21 per cent, or 105 million children.
   
• Europe and Northern America: 13 per cent, or 28 million children.
   
• Australia and New Zealand: 5 per cent, or about 400,000 children.

Studies show that violence not only harms the health and well-being of women, but also significantly impacts their children’s sense of safety, health, and learning. According to the analysis, which also includes data on violent discipline, children growing up in households where women are experiencing violence are also significantly more likely to be subjected to physical or psychological aggression themselves. Such exposure heightens their risk of carrying violence into adulthood, either as victims or perpetrators.

UNICEF calls on governments and partners to invest in proven solutions to end violence against women and violence against children by:

• Coordinating and expanding strategies that simultaneously reduce violence against women and violence against children, including supporting women and girl-led organizations
  
  
• Expanding survivor-centred services so women and children can access safety and care.
  
  
• Investing in prevention, including parenting support and school-based programmes that promote gender equality and non-violence.
  
  
• Tackling harmful social norms that underlie inequality and violence, and amplifying the voices of survivors and young people.

Notes to editors:

UNICEF’s new publication, Data Brief on Violence Against Children in the Home, includes updated global figures and the first-ever regional breakdowns.

The UN interagency report, Violence Against Women, 2023 estimates, provides the most comprehensive and latest data on intimate partner violence and non-partner sexual violence.

Read UNICEF’s guidance on how to address violence against women and children in coordination, and an infographic showing the overlaps between intimate partner violence against women and violence against children.

Access UNICEF global databases and data publications on violence against children.

About UNICEF 

UNICEF, the United Nations agency for children, works to protect the rights of every child, everywhere, especially the most disadvantaged children and in the toughest places to reach. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we do whatever it takes to help children survive, thrive, and fulfil their potential. 

For more information about UNICEF and its work, please visit: www.unicef.org 

Follow UNICEF on X (Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube 

For more information, please contact:  
Sara Alhattab | UNICEF New York | +1 917 957 6536 | salhattab@unicef.org

UNHABITAT

PRESS RELEASE

Building Resilience in Education through Advancing Disaster Resilient School Infrastructure

Islamabad, 26 November 2025 –UN-Habitat hosted a high-level gathering to highlight progress made in advancing disaster-resilient school infrastructure and to present the achievements of the Disaster Resilient School Infrastructure (DRSI) Project. This marks an important milestone in efforts to create safer and more resilient learning environments for children in Pakistan’s disaster-prone regions.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has long been one of Pakistan’s most affected provinces, facing repeated earthquakes, floods, and climate-induced hazards that have severely damaged school infrastructure. Many buildings constructed before the introduction of Pakistan’s 2007 Building Code remained vulnerable due to the absence of seismic provisions. To respond to these challenges, the DRSI Project was initiated by UN-Habitat to improve the structural safety of schools through retrofitting, repair, and the upgrading of essential facilities.

This project was funded with 471 million Japanese Yen by the Government of Japan and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and jointly implemented by UN-Habitat and UNDP in close coordination with the Elementary and Secondary Education Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, the initiative strengthened 150 schools across eight districts. The project improved the learning environment for 31,000 students, including 13,595 girls, and rehabilitated 300 gender-responsive WASH facilities, including facilities in 66 girls’ schools.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Jawed Ali Khan, Senior Advisor and Programme Manager at UN-Habitat, emphasized UN-Habitat’s leadership in delivering safer school environments. He noted that the retrofitted schools now provide structurally stable classrooms, improved ventilation and lighting, and essential WASH services that allow children to learn with confidence and security.

Ms. Afke Bootsman, Head of United Nations Resident’s Coordinator Office in her remarks highlighted that the United Nations in Pakistan has aligned its cooperation framework with national priorities, focusing on improving the lives of all people especially those most at risk. Education is recognized as a core basic social service, one that must protect and support learners even in times of crisis.

JICA’s Chief Representative, Mr. Naoaki Miyata, said this project would contribute to enhance resilience of primary, middle and high school buildings in disaster prone areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 8 districts, Buner, Swat, Malakand, Peshawar, Chitral Upper & Lower and Dhir Upper and Lower.

The Ambassador of Japan to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, H.E. Mr. Akamatsu Shuichi appreciated the collaborative effort and reaffirmed Japan’s support to Pakistan’s resilience agenda. He said that strengthening school infrastructure is a vital investment in protecting children and ensuring that education continues even in the face of natural disasters. He highlighted that the retrofitted schools performed well during the 2025 floods, demonstrating the effectiveness and appropriateness of the intervention. He also noted that Japan and Pakistan share a longstanding partnership spanning 71 years.

Mr. Hamid Mumtaz, Deputy Programme Manager at UN-Habitat, highlighted the urgent need to strengthen resilience in schools across disaster-prone regions. With two decades of experience in Pakistan, UN-Habitat has guided disaster risk reduction, safer reconstruction, national guidelines for earthquake- and flood-resistant construction, and multi-hazard risk assessments, contributing to safer and more resilient learning environments for children across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Mr Imran Kazim Chief M&E. Elementary and Secondary Education Department, delivered reparks on behalf of  Secretary of the Elementary and Secondary Education Department, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, expressed appreciation for the support of the Government of Japan, JICA, UN-Habitat, and UNDP noting that the project has strengthened school safety in districts previously hit hard by earthquakes and floods. He highlighted that the needs are immense and that support from development partners is critically required, he also emphasized that continued collaboration is essential to ensure long-term resilience across the education sector. The improved school environments have strengthened trust within communities and encouraged regular attendance.  Mr Mubashar Hussain, Manager DRR, NDRMF recognized the project as an important contribution to national disaster preparedness, stressing that resilient school infrastructure can save lives, reduce long-term losses, and ensure uninterrupted learning for children living in vulnerable areas. He also shared the details of funding which has been allocated to several partners for school strengthening and looking forward for future collaboration with UN-Habitat.

The DRSI Project demonstrates how targeted investment in structural safety, WASH facilities, and resilience-building measures can bring children back to school and support equitable access to education. While the project has significantly improved conditions across 150 schools, the need in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remains far greater than available resources. Continued investment is essential to protect children, strengthen school resilience, and advance Sustainable Development Goal 4, which calls for safe, inclusive, and quality learning environments for all.

The event was attended by Government officials, Civil society organization, I/NGOS, Academia, donors, UN, Red Cross Movement, and media representatives.

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Contact Details: 

For more information please contact:

Ms. Faiqa Aziz

Communication Officer, UN-Habitat

faiqa.aziz@un.org

About the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat)

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all. It is the focal point for all urbanization and human settlement matters within the UN system. UN-Habitat’s vision of “urbanization” encompasses all levels of human settlements, including small rural communities, villages, market towns, immediate cities and large cities and metropolises.

Website: https://unhabitat.org.pk/

LinkedIn: UN-Habitat, Pakistan - For Safe, Resilient, Sustainable and Inclusive Cities: Overview | LinkedIn

About the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)

 JICA is ODA implementing agency in accordance with the Development Cooperation Charter of Japan, which work on human security and quality growth. It started the cooperation in Pakistan in 1954. It provides bilateral aid in the form of Technical Cooperation, ODA Loan and Grant Aid in Pakistan.