Domestic Violence during a Global Pandemic

By Mollie Semple

What are you supposed to say about something so unspeakably awful occurring during a global crisis which is itself extraordinarily distressing? Well, domestic violence occurs with or without a pandemic but it appears that when people are forcibly and necessarily kept inside their homes the unspeakable can go on with greater ease. When the door is closed and the public eye is turned, where are the victims of the abuse within their own homes supposed to turn?

I often think that abusers must know that what they do is wrong because it nearly always happens when no one is looking. If an abuser believed that what they were doing was right they would be more vocal, more public about it. But they know that their darkness would not go unpunished in the light of day, so they keep it to themselves and their victims. A matter of control and shame.

The UN has called the rise in domestic abuse during the Covid19 crisis a “shadow pandemic”. This seems fitting, as it is as much a deadly, poisonous virus as anything. The amount of domestic violence around the world has increased by 20%, according to the UN. This is an enormous amount of people who are stuck at home with active abusers. It can also be very difficult to get through to the victims and offer them support, particularly when “normal” life has been put on pause and getting out the house is very difficult.

This is why women all over the world have taken it into their own hands to reach out and offer support to vulnerable women and children in their communities. Often victims are unable to leave their abusive homes because they have nowhere safe to go to. This has been made an even greater problem during the pandemic because mixing households poses the threat of infection, but at some point you have to make the decision as to which is more dangerous: the virus, or violence in the home.

During the 8 week lockdown in Ramallah, West Bank women stood on their balconies in a neighbourhood, making noise with pots and pans, to let vulnerable women know that their homes were open to them.

For many women, they do not know or understand the definition of domestic abuse and so they may not recognise that it is happening to them. They might have the notion that what is happening is not right, but they have no basis with which to point it out and seek help. This is why messages on social media describing what domestic abuse is can enlighten women to their own situations and take action to get out of their abusive homes.

In the UK during lockdown, women posted a Facebook status or a tweet or an Instagram saying to message them about the beauty products they were “selling” if a woman was in need of help. This was a code so that the women would not put themselves in more danger by asking for assistance. It would just look like they were asking about fake nails, and the woman who was messaging would know to call the police or a helpline for the person in peril. These are the measures that were needed when getting out the house or being left alone in the house was impossible.

In Thar Desert, India, women have set up a local phone line for isolated women who are dealing with abuse. The houses in the area are typically small which means that tensions are particularly high in lockdown and the levels of abuse have risen due to this frustration. In fact, the provinces that make up the area have some of the highest levels of domestic abuse in India. The women can call the phone line to share their problems and ask for advice. By organising food deliveries the women who run the phone line can regularly check in on those in danger so that they are not alone.

Rio, Brazil, has one of the highest levels of domestic violence in the world. It is estimated that an act of violence against women is committed every two minutes. In the Maré slum, many women are forced to live with their abusers. One woman has employed victims of domestic violence to cook food for the homeless during the pandemic. This means that they are able to get out of their own homes and help others in the community.

Despite the horrific statistics worldwide, people are still able to come together to reach out and protect the vulnerable. Even during the most adverse conditions women have come up with ingenious ways to support those in dire need. Unfortunately, not everyone can be saved but the fact is we can make efforts to ensure that the victims of abuse are not left behind when the attention is diverted to a different global crisis. Let’s not forget, Covid-19 is not the only virus that infects our world.