Seychelles releases first comprehensive Gender-Based Violence study in the SADC region |26 January 2018

‘Statistics make for uncomfortable reading,’ says minister

A Gender-Based Violence (GBV) study reveals that both men and women in Seychelles suffer from GBV with more than half of the women (58%) and 43% of the men having experienced some form of GBV.

The study is the first of its kind in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to comprehensively analyse Gender-Based Violence as experienced and perpetrated by both women and men.

In effect, the Seychelles Gender-Based Violence 2016 Study Report proves that the rhetoric that men are less prone to become victims of gender-based violence while women are seldom perpetrators of said violence is completely false and invalid.

This study was conducted in 2016 by the National Bureau of Statistics, the department of Social Affairs and Gender Links, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) based in South Africa.

Present during yesterday’s presentation of the report were various key stakeholders in the fight against GBV including the Minister for Family Affairs, Jeanne Simeon; principal secretary for Social Affairs, Linda William Melanie; principal secretary for Family Affairs, Marie-Josée Bonne; leader of government business in the National Assembly, Charles De Comarmond  and UNDP resident representative, Christine Umutoni.

Also in attendance were legal officers of the state, members of parliament, police officers, members of various NGOS, representatives from different religious institutions among others.

In her opening speech, Minister Simeon stated that “gender based violence is one of the most pervasive violations of human rights in the country”.

The minister expressed the need for the society to step up and no longer hide behind outdated cultural norms that have often dictated our views on domestic violence.

“We at the Ministry of Family Affairs remain positive despite the result of this study. Instead of recoiling into passivity or giving up, we are determined to shed light on the scourge of gender-based violence and bring it into the open.”

“While the statistics make for uncomfortable reading I invite every one of us to be strong and accept that we have a problem,” the minister concluded while also stating that we should all renew our commitment towards creating a violence-free Seychelles.

And indeed the data uncovered during the statistics are an uncomfortable depiction of our current society.

For instance the GBV report shows that one tenth-- or 1 out of every 10 person in Seychelles -- has experienced rape.

172 women and 155 men out of the study’s 1560 respondents reported having experienced physical intimate partner violence.

In addition, “78% of women and 79% of men who participated in the study confirmed that they have experienced some form of abuse before they reached 18 years”.

Aside from the victims of gender-based violence, the report highlighted the fact that, once again, both women and men have perpetrated violence of their own with 31% and 40% prevalence rates respectively. An equal proportion of women and men -- 40% for the two genders -- confirmed having perpetrated violence against an intimate partner.

Unfortunately the number of prosecutions relating to gender-based violence is shockingly low compared to the number of cases actually reported.

Marie-May Leon, the director general in the Family Affairs department, remarked that over 80% of sampled respondents were aware of laws pertaining to violence such as the Family Violence Act.

She affirmed that men were not only less likely to come forward in relation to these incidents, but also less likely to get tested for HIV/Aids -- which can sometimes be a direct result of GBV -- than their counterparts.

Although the study focuses on the correlations rather than the possible causes for GBV, statistics provide certain indicators and patterns for GBV such as the high prevalence of consumption of alcohol and stereotypical attitude towards gender equity.

“We are working towards creating a holistic prevention programme which will, in major parts, target the youth who will after all be creating families of their own in the future. If we are able to inculcate good values in them we can achieve our objective of a non-violent country by 2030,” Mrs Leon provided.

Other measures expected to be undertaken to curb GBV include a standalone piece of legislation that criminalises domestic violence, training of health personnel to identify incidents of GBV, eliminating negative attitudes on femininity and masculinity as well as the setting up of a half-way home for victims of GBV.

The event concluded with the presentation of the report to various attendees and a panel discussion.