Shadow Pandemic: Increasing Domestic Violence During COVID-19 Lockdowns

With almost all the countries in lockdown and billions of people sheltering at home due to the pandemic, Stay home Stay safe has become the jargon of the year. But, my question is- Are \’Home\’ and \’ Safe\’ synonymous?

The Shadow Pandemic

Governments across the world have intensified their efforts to fight the pandemic and the economic pandemic caused due to it but not much attention has been paid to the pandemic lurking in the shadows – increasing violence against women.

As per the data of the UN, the number of cases of domestic violence has increased dramatically and the majority of the cases are from the house itself. Therefore, you cannot equate home and safety. Any violation of human dignity inside the house can be termed as domestic violence. Because of the patriarchal mindset of society and some kind of social acceptance, at times, women don\’t even realize that they are being the victim of domestic violence. The burden of any disaster or pandemic has traditionally been borne and continues to disproportionately be borne by the women of the household.

The Situation Earlier

The earlier studies show that men controlling behavior increased during times of crisis such as The Great Depression, Ebola outbreak, Tsunami, etc. Increased unemployment leads to increased frustration and hence increased violence. The gender-based violence and women-specific needs are not even addressed in disaster preparedness which leads to women becoming more vulnerable.

Even More Worrisome

Every woman who faces domestic abuse has been locked home with her abuser for months together with very little or no private sphere. According to the UN Women \”Confinement is fostering the tension and strain created by security, health, and money worries and it is increasing isolation for women with violent partners, separating them from the people and resources that can best help them.\” Spikes in domestic violence are a direct result of women losing access to vital social support and it may reverse the gains achieved against the gender skewness.

What needs to be done

During this tough time of COVID-19, the silence around domestic violence needs to be broken and the government and NGOs need to do the vulnerability analysis. In a society like India’s, where this malaise is deeply entrenched, building awareness is vital. We cannot set aside this gender disparity problem while we fix the pandemic. It\’s high time when we need to include \”Prevention of Domestic Violence\” as a part of our action plan.