End the pandemic of violence against women

Lockdowns have increased the risk of violence against women. Governments have made more resources available for survivors, but without programmes to address the problem's root causes, the assistance do little to prevent future incidents, write Vandana Sharma and Isabela Salgado

To end violence against women and girls requires effective prevention strategies that target its root causes. Such programs address pervasive inequalities and power differentials — especially gender norms that justify and normalise violence against women and girls.

Violence against women and girls increases during periods of crisis. It should come as no surprise that Covid-19 has added to the risk of gender-based violence. Even before the pandemic, one in three women worldwide reported experiencing physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner.

By confining women at home with their abusers, pandemic-related lockdowns have increased their exposure to violence. Lockdowns have also contributed to economic stress, and diminished women’s access to the resources and support systems that help them escape abusive relationships.