Opinion

How Covid-19 lockdowns and isolation have enabled a shadow pandemic of violence against women and girls

Name: Pakistan leader Imran Khan’s rape comments spark protests in Karachi
Uploaded: 2021-11-25T00:45:15.000Z
Duration: 2 min 23 s
Description: Pakistan leader Imran Khan’s rape comments spark protests in Karachi

In all corners of the world, helplines for violence against women have seen an increase in reports. But the pandemic has also highlighted the potential of online technologies to channel support

The challenge now is to expand global efforts and make a difference in more lives

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A mock funeral is staged in protest against rising cases of rape, murder and domestic violence against women in Kathmandu, Nepal, on February 12. Photo: EPA-EFE

Mohammad Naciri

Mohammad Naciri is the regional director of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women for Asia and the Pacific.

Published: 8:45am, 25 Nov 2021Updated: 7:58am, 6 Dec 2021

Violence against women is a global crisis. In all our neighbourhoods, there are women and girls living in danger. Around the world, conflict, climate-related natural disasters, food insecurity and human rights violations are exacerbating violence against women.

More than 70 per cent of women have experienced gender-based violence in a crisis setting. And in countries, both rich and poor, gender prejudice has fuelled acts of violence towards women and girls.

Covid-19 has presented new challenges and complexities regarding how this violence manifests, is prevented, and how survivors are helped to be safe. The recent study “Covid-19 and violence against women: The evidence behind the talk” analysed online search behaviour on topics related to violence against women and girls in eight countries: Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Thailand, the Philippines and Singapore.

It showed that this violence rose even further during the Covid-19 pandemic, along with online misogyny. With increased online violence, online support also rose and help-seeking searches increased – by 47 per cent in Nepal and 10 per cent in the Philippines.

The pandemic highlighted the potential of online technologies to channel support. There is a great need to invest in targeted online engagement of service providers and government services to better reach survivors online, particularly when face-to-face interaction is limited.

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Pakistan leader Imran Khan’s rape comments spark protests in Karachi

Violence against women often goes unreported, silenced by stigma, shame, fear of the perpetrators and fear of a justice system that does not work for women.