Private Observer

GBV Cases Surge: Women and Girls Remain Most Affected

Police have revealed that a total of 9,899 people were victims of Gender-Based Violence during the last quarter 2,318 of them children and 7,581 adults, according to GBV statistics and analysis released by the Zambia Police in the third quarter of 2025.

Police spokesperson Rae Hamoonga says women and girls continue to bear the brunt of GBV, accounting for over 77% of all reported cases. Among children, 74% of the victims were girls, while boys made up 26%, underscoring the urgent need for targeted child protection efforts.

Sexual abuse remains a major concern, with 913 cases recorded  including 657 incidents of child defilement, primarily affecting girls. Lusaka Province topped the list with 143 defilement cases, followed closely by Eastern and Southern Provinces.

Other sexual offences included 110 cases of rape, 18 attempted rapes, 62 incidents of indecent assault, and 25 cases of incest.

The most common form of abuse was physical violence, making up 35% of all reports. Of the 3,448 cases, 2,925 were classified as Assaults Occasioning Actual Bodily Harm. Lusaka again led with 683 such cases  the highest in the country.

Economic abuse came in second with 1,572 cases, mostly involving failure to provide basic necessities. This marks an 8% drop from the same period last year.

Emotional and psychological abuse accounted for 268 cases  a 36% decline from 2024 with most involving threats of violence and verbal insults.