The Violence Against Women Pandemic

by Tamika Samuels

Violence. Violence against all has long been a widespread problem. Violence is an issue, and women have long since faced that violence. From domestic and intimate violence, to sexual harassment and violence, to pscyhological and emotional violence, women are subjected to these differenct forms of violence on an everyday basis. When you add in the Covid-19 pandemic, these long-existing problems grow worse. The Covid-19 pandemic perpetuated problems of violence against women that already existed. 

Universally, violence is a violation of everyone’s human rights, but violence perpetuated on women is especially brutal. It is estimated by both the World Health Organization and the UN Women that, before the pandemic, 1 in 3 women worldwide had been subjected to some form of violence: sexual intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual violence, and/or physical violence once or more times in their life. Of all human trafficking victims that have been accounted for, women and girls roughly account for 72 percent. In 31 countries, where the practice of female genital mutilation is prominent, at least 200 million women and girls have undergone genital mutilation. The list of violence against women (and girls) goes on, and on, and on. As indicated, this was an issue before, a significant one, and one the pandemic has worsened. 

Consequently, the pandemic worsened the issues that had been long standing. As the Covid-19 pandemic stretched on, calls to helplines increased five-fold in some countries as the rates of reported intimate partner violence increased as well. Can you imagine how much higher the numbers would be if victims of non-reported intimate partner violence reported the violence they were subjected to? Sexual harassment, domestic violence, violent misogony, including other forms of violence against women, continuously happen in the streets, private spaces, public spaces, and online in several different forums and apps. In some places around the country, funding, resources, and efforts have been transferred from violence against women to Covid-19 relief, which has limited access to support and information, which in turn has negatively impacted survivors.

Despite the measures put in place to protect people from coronavirus, such as social distancing, lockdowns, and restrictions, not everyone was safe. Those same measures, specifically the confinement of staying at home, while unintentional, had a devastating impact on women living with either the risk of violence or previous violence. The stay-at-home guidelines gave the perpetrators more power in isolating their victims and that with the whole world focusing on stopping Covid-19, they believe they can act without limitation. That is why there was a rise in violence against women -- the perpetrators believe they have no one to hold them accountable to their actions. In various violent situations, some women simply cannot call for help. They may want to, but by being confined with their abuser, they are either afraid to call for help or their abuser has forcefully taken away their rights and choices.  

To curb or end the violence against women, there are several steps or solutions that must be taken. Violence against women was a problem long before the pandemic, and it will be after. While some of the measures in place have somewhat helped this issue, it is clear that more must be done. There is a disparity between control and power. This stems from the inequality between women and men, gender-based stereotypes, as well as social norms and misogyny that perpetuate and condone violence against women. To eliminate this issue, long-lasting calculated measures must be put in place to combat the imbalances as well as violence against women.

Sources:

The Shadow Pandemic: Violence against women during COVID-19

Addressing the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Violence Against Women and Girls 

Facts and figures: Ending violence against women 

Research and data: Ending violence against women 

Violence Against Women and Children During COVID-19—One Year On and 100 Papers In: A Fourth Research Round Up 

Violence against women 

How The Pandemic Increased Domestic Abuse And Sexual Violence AgainstWomen