Z’bar records slight decrease of GBVs last month
ZANZIBAR: THE number of Gender Based Violence (GBV) especially sexual, child abuse and brutality against women has decreased last month (December) in comparison to the previous month of November last year.
According to the monthly GBV update by the Office of Chief Government Statistician (OCGS)- Zanzibar, a total of 162 incidents of abuse were reported in the month of December 2023 in comparison to 172 cases reported in November the same year.
OCGS-Zanzibar’s Head of Gender and Employment Division, Ms Sabina Raphael Daima, said the number of incidents per month have decreased by 5.8 per cent, including rape, defilement, and other sexual disgrace.
“It is unfortunate; most of the victims are still children, 81.5 per cent of the incidents in December followed by women 14.2 per cent and male 4.3 per cent. But also, among the victims’ girls were the majority, 101 equivalent to 76.5 per cent and boys 31 about 23.5 per cent,” she explained.
Ms Daima, however, observed that in comparison, the number of abuse incidents per year has increased by 5.2 per cent from 154 events reported in December 2022, up to 162 events in December 2023.
She mentioned districts as leading in the number of incidents of GBV as the Urban District and reported to have more incidents compared to others with 41 incidents, equal to 25.3 per cent followed by the Wester A and B Districts with 33 incidents- equivalent to 20.4 percent.
Mentioning the legal steps taken, Ms Daima explained that out of all 162 incidents, 132 incidents are under investigation by the police, equal to 81.5 per cent, 28 incidents equal to 17.3 per cent are in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) and two incidents have been closed by the Police equal to 1.2 percent.
At the monthly briefing was also attended by the UN Women Officer and other stakeholders, where she further pointed out that a total number of 1,954 incidents of GBV were reported in the whole year of 2023, and that most of the victims were children equal to 83.7 percent, followed by women 12.0 percent and men 4.3 percent.