Gasabo District Mayor, Claudine Nyinawagaga, has estimated that at least 70 percent of underage children in her district have either faced Gender-Based Violence (GBV) or risk to be victimised.

Speaking to The New Times during the launch of joint efforts for prevention and response to GBV victims at Bumbogo sector, Nyinawagaga said that majority of the victims are under 10 years.

"The most affected group is under 10 years, and are estimated at 70 percent…. we are working hard to make GBV a history in Gasabo District,” Nyinawagaga said, adding that about 12 cases of GBV are reported in the district every month.

Noting that females have been mostly affected, Nyinawagaga warned that more efforts and mechanisms have been put in place to reduce crimes based on gender.

According to Nyinawagaga the district has got a population of about 500,000 of which 260,000 are youths.

She observed that though few cases have been reported many go unreported, "this means that the number of victims may be higher,” she said, pointing out that women are partly to blame because they have little time for their children.

Morris Muligo who is in charge of the GBV desk in the National Police said that crimes related to GBV were decreasing countrywide but added that more efforts were needed to eliminate it.

The launch which was held under the ongoing campaign dubbed ‘16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence’ involves coordinated collaboration between police, health sector and the community in the fight against GBV.

The event in Bumbogo was a jointly organized by Intrahealth/Twubakane which intervened in advocating for victims of GBV.

The 16 days of activism against Gender Based Violence campaign was launched on November 25 and will run through December10.

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