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Violence Against Women Increasing During Pandemic

Natalie Seo

   "He's in the next room -- if he hears me, I'll have to hang up."

   That call to the [1]Family Place, an organization in Dallas, Texas,
   focused on stopping family violence, reflects the reality of many women
   worldwide who are trapped in close quarters with their abusers during
   the pandemic.

   For some, the COVID-related stress of lockdowns, job losses and other
   limitations is worsening an already abusive situation. For others, the
   abuse is new, the result of frustrations and fears.

   As the coronavirus spread from its point of origin in Wuhan, China,
   late in 2019, the United Nations in April issued a [2]warning of a
   shadow pandemic, an increase in domestic violence against women.

   The behavior isn't restricted to physical, sexual or psychological
   abuse and can include [3]tactics such as forced child marriage.
   Worldwide, women are the most likely to be victims in part because they
   are less educated and less able to exert control over their own lives
   than men.

   "As more countries report infection and lockdown, more domestic
   violence help lines and shelters across the world are reporting
   [4]rising calls for help," Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, executive director
   of U.N. Women, said on April 6.

   And as COVID-19 persists, so has the shadow pandemic.

   "It's stressful for anybody. But when you add financial problems and
   you have an abusive partner who is also unemployed -- it's a bad
   recipe," said Paige Flink, executive director of the Family Place.

References

   1. https://www.familyplace.org/
   2. https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/in-focus-gender-equality-in-covid-19-response/violence-against-women-during-covid-19
   3. https://projects.voanews.com/child-marriage/
   4. https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2020/4/statement-ed-phumzile-violence-against-women-during-pandemic

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