UN chief urges fight against
surge in domestic violence amid pandemic
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| The UN chief is calling for measures against surge in violence against women and girls under coronavirus lockdown |
UN Secretary-General António Guterres is calling for measures
to address a “horrifying global surge in domestic violence” against women and
girls under Covid-19 lockdown.
By Robin Gomes
The UN chief is calling for measures to address a
“horrifying global surge in domestic violence” directed towards women and girls,
linked to lockdowns and quarantines imposed by governments responding to the
COVID-19 pandemic.
In a video message on Sunday, UN Secretary-General António
Guterres referred to his repeated appeals for a ceasefire in conflicts around
the world, to focus on the shared effort to overcome the virus.
He pointed out that violence is not confined to the
battlefield, and “for many women and girls, the threat looms largest where they
should be safest: in their own homes”.
An existing problem
The combination of economic and social stresses brought on
by the pandemic, as well as restrictions on movement, have dramatically
increased the numbers of women and girls facing abuse, in almost all countries.
However, even before the global spread of the new
coronavirus, statistics showed that a third of women around the world
experienced some form of violence in their lives.
The issue affects both developed and poorer economies:
nearly a quarter of female college students reported having experienced sexual
assault or misconduct in the USA, whilst in parts of sub-Saharan Africa,
partner violence to be a reality for 65 per cent of women.
Repercussion on women
World Health Organization (WHO) research shows that women
who experience physical or sexual abuse are twice as likely to have an
abortion, and the experience nearly doubles their likelihood of falling into
depression. In some regions, they are 1.5 times more likely to acquire HIV, and
evidence exists that sexually assaulted women are 2.3 times more likely to have
alcohol disorders.
87,000 women were intentionally killed in 2017, and more
than half were killed by intimate partners of family members.
Shockingly, violence against women is as serious a cause of
death and incapacity among women of reproductive age as cancer, and a greater
cause of ill health than traffic accidents and malaria combined.
Surge in violence in pandemic
Since the pandemic, the UN is reporting that Lebanon and
Malaysia, for example, have seen the number of calls to helplines double,
compared with the same month last year; in China they have tripled; and in
Australia, search engines such as Google are seeing the highest magnitude of
searches for domestic violence help in the past five years. (Source: UN)
Calls to the helpline of Spain’s semi-autonomous Catalonia
region had risen by 20% in the first few days of the lockdown; a similar
hotline in Cyprus saw a 30% rise in the week after its first coronavirus case
was reported on 9 March.
The situation is unknown in countries that lack reporting
systems, where the vulnerability of women and girls is expected to be
higher. Responding to the rise in violence is further complicated by the
fact that institutions are already under a huge strain from the demands of
dealing with the pandemic.
Overwhelmed by Covid-19
“Healthcare providers and police are overwhelmed and
understaffed”, said Guterres, “local support groups are paralyzed or short of
funds. Some domestic violence shelters are closed; others are full”.
The UN chief urged all governments to make the prevention
and redress of violence against women a key part of their national response
plans for COVID-19, and outlined several actions that can be taken to improve
the situation.
Prevent violence in war and home
“Together,” he said, “we can and must prevent violence
everywhere, from war zones to people’s homes, as we work to beat COVID-19”.
In a tweet on Monday Guterres wrote: “Peace is not just the
absence of war. Many women under lockdown for #COVID19 face violence where they
should be safest: in their own homes. Today I appeal for peace in homes
around the world. I urge all governments to put women’s safety first as
they respond to the pandemic.”
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