Editing Children in the military (section)

=== Global estimates ===
In 2003, one estimate calculated that child soldiers participated in about three-quarters of ongoing conflicts.<ref name="saddam">{{cite web|url=http://www.brookings.edu/papers/2003/0114iraq_singer.aspx|title=Facing Saddam's Child Soldiers|first=P. W. |last=Singer|date=14 January 2003|publisher=[[Brookings Institution]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100212100221/http://www.brookings.edu/papers/2003/0114iraq_singer.aspx|archive-date=12 February 2010|url-status=dead|access-date=3 August 2009|author-link=P. W. Singer}}</ref> In the same year, the [[UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs]] (UNOCHA) estimated that most of these children were aged over 15, although some were younger.<ref name="irin">{{cite web|url=http://www.irinnews.org/report/66280/africa-too-small-to-be-fighting-in-anyone-s-war|title=AFRICA: Too small to be fighting in anyone's war|date=December 2003|publisher=UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130325052712/http://www.irinnews.org/Report/66280/AFRICA-Too-small-to-be-fighting-in-anyone-s-war|archive-date=25 March 2013|url-status=dead|access-date=3 August 2009}}</ref>

Due to the widespread military use of children in areas where armed conflict and insecurity prevent access by UN officials and other observers, it is difficult to estimate how many children are affected.<ref name="CSI-2017c">{{Cite news|url=https://www.child-soldiers.org/FAQs/how-many-children-are-used-for-military-purposes-worldwide|title=How many children are used for military purposes worldwide?|last=Child Soldiers International|year=2017|access-date=25 January 2018|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180126070954/https://www.child-soldiers.org/FAQs/how-many-children-are-used-for-military-purposes-worldwide|archive-date=26 January 2018|url-status=usurped}}</ref> 
* In 2003 [[UNICEF]] estimated that some 300,000 children are involved in more than 30 conflicts worldwide.<ref name="unicef2003">{{Cite web|url=http://www.unicef.org/protection/files/childsoldiers.pdf|title=Factsheet: Child Soldiers| publisher=UNICEF|year=2003|access-date=21 August 2023|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041104061549/http://www.unicef.org/protection/files/childsoldiers.pdf|archive-date=4 November 2004|url-status=dead}}</ref> 
* In 2017, [[Child Soldiers International]] estimated that several tens of thousands of children, possibly more than 100,000, were in state and non-state military organisations around the world,<ref name="CSI-2017c" /> and in 2018 the organisation reported that children were being used to participate in at least 18 armed conflicts.<ref name="CSI-2018a" /> 
* In 2023 the [[Secretary-General of the United Nations|UN Secretary General]] report presented 7,622 verified cases of children being recruited and used in armed conflicts in 23 countries. More than 12,460 children formerly associated with armed forces or groups received protection or reintegration support during 2022.<ref name="UNSG-2023">{{Cite web|url=https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N23/144/96/PDF/N2314496.pdf|title=Children and armed conflict: Report of the Secretary-General| publisher=UN Security Council|year=2023|access-date=21 August 2023|language=en}}</ref>

It is estimated that [[girl soldiers]] make between 10% and 30%,<ref>{{cite web
	| url = https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2006/jul/21/guardianweekly.guardianweekly11
	| title = I wanted to take revenge
	| date = July 2006
	| website = The Guardian
	| access-date = 21 August 2023
	| quote = The usual view of girl soldiers – who make up between 10% and 30% of some child armies
}}</ref> 6 and 50%,<ref name="Alliance-2020">{{cite tech report
    |url=https://alliancecpha.org/sites/default/files/technical/attachments/tn_gaafag_eng.pdf
    |title=Girls Associated with Armed Forces and Armed Groups
    |date=December 2020
    |publisher=The Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action
    |access-date=29 January 2024 }}</ref> or over 40% of the child soldier population.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Whitman|first=Shelly|title=The Routledge Handbook of the Responsibility to Protect|publisher=Routledge |year=2012|isbn=978-0-415-60075-0|location=New York|pages=154|language=English}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
	| url = https://www.un.org/youthenvoy/2015/02/4-10-child-soldiers-girls/
	| title = 4 out of 10 child soldiers are girls
	| date = 12 February 2015
	| website = un.org
	| access-date = 21 August 2023
}}</ref> Of the verified cases presented in the 2023 UN Secretary General report, girls make 12.3% of all child soldiers recruited or used by armed groups.<ref name="UNSG-2023"/>