As part of its initial response to the COVID-19 crisis, the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women (UNTF EVAW) surveyed its grantees to assess the impact of the pandemic and associated lockdowns.
The replies confirmed the rapid rise in violence against women and girls and the challenges faced by struggling, often civil society led, support systems. They also revealed how quickly and nimbly grantees are adapting to maintain key aspects of their projects while protecting the safety of beneficiaries and staff. An analysis of 122 grantees’ replies from 69 countries and territories, has identified some commonalties in the current experiences of women’s and civil society organizations on the front line of the COVID-19 response. Grounded in bringing forth the voices of practitioners and survivors, the analysis revealed:
Increased violence
Grantees reported an alarming increase in violence against women globally. Multiple forms of violence are being inflicted, often concurrently.
- Intimate partner violence was cited most often, fueled by economic instability.
- Emotional, psychological and economic violence is rising due to food shortages and unemployment.
- Child abuse and exploitation, sexual abuse, femicide and violence in humanitarian settings are all increasing.