GBV Cases Surge in Nebbi As Teenagers, Young Mothers Bear Brunt

Nebbi District in Uganda recorded a significant surge in gender-based violence (GBV), with 2,107 cases documented between July 2025 and June 2026. Teenagers and young mothers constituted the majority of victims during this 12-month period, according to police and health records. The figures reveal 1,236 instances of physical and emotional violence, alongside 871 cases of sexual violence.

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From experience in handling GBV-related cases, poverty is the major factor. Girls from poor backgrounds become vulnerable, and in some cases their parents also contribute to the problem. That is why many cases go unreported and victims continue to suffer in silence.

Officials point to a confluence of factors driving this increase, including pervasive poverty, societal stigma surrounding abuse, the prevalence of early marriages, and the erosion of traditional family support structures. A critical barrier for many victims is their lack of economic independence, which traps them in abusive relationships.

AIP Baifa Wanican of the Nebbi Central Police Station highlighted poverty as the primary catalyst for GBV in the district. She explained that girls from disadvantaged backgrounds are particularly vulnerable, and sometimes their own parents contribute to their exploitation by older men offering financial assistance. This situation leads to many cases going unreported, with victims suffering in silence. Wanican also noted that perpetrators sometimes offer financial inducements, causing victims to withdraw their complaints and abandon legal pursuits.

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We try as much as possible to enforce the law, but when victims are offered money, they lose interest in pursuing the case. We continue to follow up, but without their cooperation it becomes very difficult.

Sister Joyce Opiem Cengmoko, the assistant district health officer for maternal health, emphasized the role of stigma in deterring victims from coming forward. Fear of social exclusion and potential abandonment by abusers prevents many from seeking help. She further blamed the breakdown of family systems for leaving girls with fewer options, as parental support for education and well-being diminishes.

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Many victims fear to come forward because of stigma and because they worry they will be chased away from their homes by the very people abusing them.

Donald Owachgiu, the Nebbi Assistant Resident District Commissioner, cited the weakening of traditional cultural structures, such as the Alur community's extended family support system, as another contributing factor. He observed that many teenagers enter relationships and start families prematurely, lacking the maturity and emotional intelligence to resolve conflicts peacefully, often leading to violence.

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Family systems have broken down. Some parents no longer support their children, especially girls, to remain in school. They have neglected their responsibilities, leaving girls with few options but to make difficult choices.