UN report: Attacks against girls seeking an education are increasing

In a report released Monday, the United Nations says that attacks against girls in school are on the rise around the world, taking place in at least 70 countries from 2009 to 2014.

The UN states that most of the attacks were "specifically directed at girls, parents, and teachers advocating for gender equality in education," and 3,600 incidents took place against educational institutions, children, and teachers in 2012, The New York Times reports. Recent major acts of violence include the killing of 132 students by the Pakistani Taliban in Peshawar in December, the kidnapping of almost 300 girls in northern Nigeria by Boko Haram last April, and the 2012 shooting of Malala Yousafzai.

In war zones, students are targeted for their knowledge; the guerrilla group Lord's Resistance Army has taken girls who can read, write, and do math because they are "valuable recruits for military communications work." Another fallout from the violence is that many parents and guardians are afraid schools aren't safe, and keep their children at home.

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