UN Women advises that since the outbreak of COVID-19, all types of violence against women and girls, particularly domestic violence, has intensified. This Shadow Pandemic is growing amidst the COVID-19 crisis and we need a global collective effort to stop it.
The social disruption caused by the pandemic has led to:
- Security, health and money worries
- Women living in isolation with abusers
- Cramped living conditions
- Movement restrictions
These can all be triggers for violence.
As COVID-19 cases continue to strain health services, essential services, such as domestic violence shelters and helplines, have reached capacity.
More needs to be done to prioritize addressing violence against women in COVID-19 response and recovery efforts.
Everyone has a role to play.
UN Women is providing up-to-date information and supporting vital programmes to fight the Shadow Pandemic of violence against women during COVID-19.