Gender Ministry Records 766 SGBV Cases for 2023 First Quarter

MONROVIA – The Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection says it has recorded seven hundred sixty-six cases for the first quarter of 2023.

The Assistant Minister for Children and social protection Mamena Gaye said of the 766 cases that were recorded, 640 were reported from 34 health facilities amounting to 83.6 % while 126 cases from 15 wags institutes amounting to 16.4%.

“The number of health facilities that reported were 34 and we had 15 wags amounting to 49 facilities, the total number of cases reported form the health facilities is 640 amounting to 83.6%, and from WAGs [Women Action Group], we have 126 cases amounting to 16.4% bringing the total number of cases from January to March up to 766″.

She explained that of the 766 cases, 310 were recorded in January, 309 in February and 140 were recorded in March of this year.

Meanwhile, the Asst. Min. for Children and social protection disclosed that five hundred eighty-five cases of the total number of cases were reported to be rape cases, and the others were forms of domestic violence such as beating, emotional abuse and persistent non-support.

“Most of the cases happened during the night time, wish amounted for 34%, with the rest of the cases happening other hours of the day. Five hundred eighty-five were rape cases, the rest of the cases are domestic violence, such as beating, emotional abuse, persistent non-support.”

Madam Gaye furthered that seven hundred thirty-three of the cases were female, while thirty-four of them were male, adding 20% of them were children from age 11 to 16.

With the data release, it points out that despite that government’s effort to tackle the crippling menace of SGBV, it is still prevalent in the Liberian society.

Campaigners have attributed the continued rise in sexual and gender based violence cases to Liberia’s weak justice system and increasing poverty rate.