Eight million children live in orphanages and other institutions globally (Lumos).

At least four out of five children in residential care have one or both parents alive.

While residential care has a place and is necessary in some circumstances, removing a child from their family and community is an extreme intervention, which can have detrimental effects on a child's development and future outcomes and should only be used as a last resort (Kinnected).

One in four of the more than 40 million people estimated to be victims of modern slavery are children (CNN).

The number of child labourers in the world has decreased by a third since 2000. Still, 73 million child labourers are between 5-11 years of age. 58% of these are in agriculture (World Vision).

While the practice of early marriage is slowly declining, cultural acceptance, poverty and gender discrimination mean that it remains widespread in many parts of the world (World Vision). About 15 million girls married as children in 2017 – one every two seconds. Married girls often leave school early, are more likely to live in poverty, are at greater risk of domestic violence and face more serious reproductive health risks (UN Women).

Nearly 250 million children live in countries and areas affected by armed conflict, and these children are twice as likely to die from preventable diseases before age five (UNICEF).

Military recruitment of children is gradually being outlawed. 71% of states with armed forces have restricted their military to adults and at least 60 non-state armed groups have committed to stop or reduce recruitment of children (childsoldiers.org).

As many as 300,000 children are believed to be serving as soldiers in armed conflicts around the world – depriving them of a normal childhood and education (Reliefweb).

The annual rate of reduction in the under-five mortality rate is increasing and the progress in improving child survival has saved the lives of 100 million children under age five since 1990 (UNICEF & Goal Keepers).

Still, 5.6 million children under five died in 2016 – 15,000 every day – and inequities in child mortality between high and low income countries remain large (WHO).

One out of six children (approximately 100 million) in developing countries is underweight.

66 million primary school age children go to school hungry across the developing world (WVA).

In 2016, globally there were 155 million children under five years of age stunted, 52 million wasted and 41 million overweight (WHO).

There has been great progress in school enrolment in many areas of the world, however around 263 million children and youth are out of school worldwide; this includes 61 million children of primary school age, 60 million lower secondary, and 142 million of upper secondary age.

Gender, poverty and conflict are major barriers to education (UNESCO).

State of the World's Children Report

United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

To explore more information about particular needs facing children and women in regions around the world, see the Regional Fact Sheets on the Sisterhood Fight Club page.