Context:

• As economies, institutions and social welfare sectors continue to collapse under the strain of the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic crisis, there is a dangerous escalation in the risk to the millions of people caught in the clutches of domestic and gender-based violence.

How worse is the situation?

• The crisis has led to an alarming escalation of violence in the home, with women bearing the brunt of the frustration and anger.
• In some areas, there have been reports of women being prevented from seeing doctors.
• Surging numbers of emergency calls to helplines, dramatic increases in Internet searches for support for those affected by domestic violence, and higher numbers of domestic homicides shows how worse the situation is.

Barriers to care

• Women- the most disadvantaged

• • Women often tend to be at a disadvantage during crises, epidemics and now this pandemic, and that domestic violence tends to increase. For example,
    • In West Africa, 60% of total deaths in the 2014 Ebola virus outbreak were women.
    • Following the Canterbury earthquake in New Zealand, there was a 53% rise in domestic violence.

• Gender roles

• • Gender roles and harmful practices, including customs such as early and forced marriage, limit women’s access to health services.
  • Women do three times as much unpaid care work at home compared to men, and make up 70% of workers in the health and social care sectors.

• Pandemic exacerbates

• • During the present COVID-19 pandemic, mass school closures are tending to entrench learning gaps between girls and boys, and putting many more girls at risk of sexual exploitation, early pregnancy and early or forced marriage.
  • They also mean that children are unable to report abuse to a trusted teacher.
  • With restrictions on home visits by police and health workers, violence shelters being converted into health facilities, and courts being forced to close, many victims may find themselves trapped and feeling abandoned.

How to address the issue?

Prioritize health

• All evidence points to a clear link between weak health systems and vulnerabilities to domestic violence. 
• An important priority is the provision of basic health care to all individuals and communities free of charge at the point of delivery. So urgent action needs to be taken to ensure that during this COVID-19 pandemic, victims of abuse are able to access the health care they need, including mental health services.

Financial independence

• Many of the women need the assurance of financial independence to escape from dangerous domestic situations.
• It is also key that post COVID-19 strategies include dedicated funding and support for micro, small and medium sized businesses and the informal sector, which are predominantly led by women.

Additional resourcing 

• Providing additional resourcing and funding to organisations supporting victims, can make them upscale operations and continue providing services in a safe manner.

Access to justice

• Useful innovations such as virtual hearings and legal advice, can allow survivors to continue to access justice.

Measures taken so far by Commonwealth:

• Commonwealth Secretariat is working alongside partner organisations on measures which will help 54 member countries to deal with gender based violence.
• Counterpart organisations  have explored collaboration and mechanisms to ensure that women are at the centre of post-COVID-19 recovery planning.
• Creating opportunities through virtual meetings and seminars for Commonwealth countries to share knowledge, resources and experience on how best to navigate through the rapidly evolving processes.

Way forward:

• Mitigating the devastating impacts of this hidden pandemic of domestic and gender based violence requires strong and concerted action. 
• Violence in the home is one of the most pervasive human rights challenges of our time. So, the Commonwealth should collectively stand ready to bring the power of its advocacy and support to the planned UN Declaration on Women and COVID-19.
• With the respective members Commonwealth Nations had to implement policy responses and interventions to safeguard victims and those at risk.