Role of women and women’s organization, population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues
Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and State
COVID-19 and Domestic Violence
The lockdown imposed by authorities in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic has imposed stricter control on one’s mobility and put women in abusive relationships at extremely high risk of damage from physical, sexual and emotional abuse.
Do You Know?
67% of the world’s healthcare workers are women and thus are naturally more prone to infection.
Women are burdened with three times more unpaid care work than men, which increases during lockdown
Global scenario of Women Violence
Globally, violence against women affects one in three women.
Of all female murders, an overwhelming 82 per cent happen in their marital homes, and are committed by an intimate partner or a family member.
Women violence in India – findings by the National Family Health Survey-4 (2015-16)
30% women in India in the age group of 15-49 have experienced physical violence since the age of 15
About 31 per cent of married women have experienced physical, sexual or emotional violence by their spouses.
6 per cent women in the age group 15-49 years have experienced sexual violence at least once in their lifetime
Consequences of lockdown (in the wake of COVID-19) on Women Violence
Increases the vulnerability to sexual violence
Data from west African countries in the wake of the 2014 Ebola outbreak showed that there was a steady increase in rape, sexual assault and violence against women and girls.
Sexual violence increased in these regions by 40per cent over a period of one year
Increases domestic violence on women:
In the province of Hubei in Wuhan, China, which is the heart of the first outbreak of the Coronavirus, domestic violence reports to police tripled during the February lockdown period
In Brazil state-run shelters are estimating 40-50 per cent rise in demands from endangered women.
European countries have reported 20-30 per cent increases in calls to domestic violence helplines
Impact of lockdown on domestic violence in India
National Commission of Women has recorded 291 complaints of domestic violence in March
Closure of Counselling Centres: Under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act (PWDVA), it is these centres and not the police who are first responder for women who experience domestic violence.
Non-functional NGOs: The hotlines run by NGOs (whom women report such cases) are silent – attributed probably to continuous presence of the abuser at home
Given the above situation there is now a lack ofalternative alert system for women abuse
Way Forward
The state governments need to declare helplines as “essential services” that should remain open during lockdowns
Disseminate information about gender-based violence and publicise resources and services available.
Increase resourcing for NGOs that respond to domestic violence and aid — including shelter, counselling, and legal aid — to survivors.
Encourage the equitable sharingof domestic tasks at home.
Provide for the continued provision of healthcare services based on medical research and tests — unrelated to the virus — for women and girls
Ensure women’s timely access to necessary and comprehensive sexual & reproductive health services during the crisis, such as maternal health services, safe abortion etc.
Examples from other Countries worth emulating
French government will pay for up to 20,000 hotel nights for survivors and finance pop-up counselling centres at grocery stores for easy access to abuse survivors.
In Spain, women are being given codewords such as “Mask-19” in pharmacy stores, which can act as an alarm-response mediator.
