It may appear some people “do believe that everyone is having an incredibly sexy time quarantining (they’re not),” thus begins the opening sentence of an article I was reading on Jezebel, which describes itself as “A Supposedly Feminist Website.” “Don’t be fooled into thinking tons of people are planning on starting families out of boredom,” it says, as it goes on to explain how pandemics are anxiety-ridden and therefore not conducive to baby-making. It got me thinking how, instead of sexy time, domestic violence has arisen as another public health crisis in the wake of Covid-19. The United Nations notes that 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. In parts of sub-Saharan Africa, partner violence is a reality for 65 per cent of women. That is an incredibly huge percentage. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, UN Women Executive Director, describes the violence as a shadow pandemic, capturing its haunting prevalence around the world in a recent article. She, however, explains that wide under-reporting of domestic and other forms of violence has previously made response and data gathering a challenge, with less than 40 per cent of women who experience violence seeking help of any sort or reporting the crime. Less than 10 per cent of those women seeking help go to the police. The current circumstances make reporting even harder in many countries, she says, including limitations on women’s and girls’ access to phones and helplines and disrupted public services like police, justice and social services. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for urgent action to combat the worldwide surge in domestic violence. “I urge all governments to put women’s safety first as they respond to the pandemic,” he wrote on Twitter. Aside from the causes of the abuse, experts have been describing the mechanics of it. The New York Times quotes one expert at Harvard University Medical School who finds that the coercive methods domestic abusers use to control their partners and children “bear an uncanny resemblance” to those kidnappers use to control hostages. It adds that, while perpetrators of organized political or sexual exploitation may instruct each other in coercive methods, perpetrators of domestic abuse appear to reinvent them.” In addition to physical violence, which is not present in every abusive relationship, common tools of abuse include isolation from friends, family and employment; constant surveillance; strict, detailed rules for behaviour; and restrictions on access to such basic necessities as food, clothing and sanitary facilities. The UN mentions research detailing disturbing impacts of violence on women’s physical, sexual, reproductive and mental health: 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. Clearly, something must be done. And yet, Mlambo-Ngcuka notes, 1 in 4 countries have no laws specifically protecting women from domestic violence. This, therefore, leaves grassroots and women’s organizations and communities who have often played a critical role in preventing and responding to previous crises. They need to be supported strongly in their current frontline role including with funding that remains in the longer-term. Helplines, psychosocial support and online counselling should be boosted, using technology-based solutions such as SMS, online tools and networks to expand social support, and to reach women with no access to phones or internet, she says. Police and justice services must mobilize to ensure that incidents of violence against women and girls are given high priority with no impunity for perpetrators. The private sector also has an important role to play, sharing information, alerting staff to the facts and the dangers of domestic violence and encouraging positive steps like sharing care responsibilities at home. Mlambo-Ngcuka concludes that, if not dealt with, this shadow pandemic will also add to the economic impact of COVID-19. The global cost of violence against women had previously been estimated at approximately US$1.5 trillion. That figure can only be rising as violence increases now, and continues in the aftermath of the pandemic.
