Must Reads: Rates of Violence Against Women and Girls Continue to Rise Amid Pandemic
In this week’s Must Reads: exploring the methods of gathering true and accurate data on domestic violence in South Africa, Save the Children and their efforts in combatting the rise of sexual violence cases in Venezuela, HRW report finds that LGBTQ+ individuals are more likely to face interpersonal violence during the COVID-19 pandemic, how a group of men are helping to end femicide and VAWG in Mexico, 3 women who fleed Boko Haram now face jail time and charges in suspicion of being a part of the terrorist group and more.
- South Africa. Are we collecting the right amount of data during the COVID-19 pandemic to tell us the whole story on the rates of violence against women in households? “Rigorous studies on the impact of pandemics on levels of violence against women and children are scarce. It’s difficult to ensure the safety of women who are asked to respond to questions about their experiences of abuse, so the accuracy of the information gathered is likely to be questionable.” (Relief Web)
- Venezuela. Rates of violence against women and children in their households are spiking in Venezuela, a state already facing a destroyed economy and social crisis. Save the Children, a humanitarian aid organization aimed at improving the lives of children worldwide and providing resources to countries hit by devastating emergencies, has reported that “the majority of cases concern sexual violence against children, and psychological and physical violence against women by their partners.” (Vatican News)
- Human Rights Campaign report finds that LGBTQ individuals are more likely to face interpersonal violence, especially in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. “To address the high rate of interpersonal violence in the LGBTQ community, which research shows is likely to increase during COVID-19, HRC is calling on Congress to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), originally passed by Congress and signed into law by President Clinton in 1994 and reauthorized by strong bipartisan majorities in 2000, 2005, and 2013.” (Human Rights Campaign)
- A group of men who want to end femicide rates and violence against women in Mexico. Arturo Reyes, a psychologist and staff member of Gendes, an organization made to help men stop the campaign of violence against women, has seen the spike in calls for support during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Deutsche Welle)
- After crossing the border to Nigeria in 2014, in hopes of a better life, three women from Cameroon decided to go back in search of safety during the height of the Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria. Now, they are in limbo, having served over 5 years in jail for being members of the militant group that they tried to escape from. "They were in the wrong place at the wrong time," explains Marie-Lina Samuel, Africa Project Coordinator at the organisation ECPM (Together Against the Death Penalty).” (RFI)
IN FOCUS - NIGERIA:
Dr. Anita Kemi DaSilva-Ibru, a gynecologist who works at The Women at Risk International Foundation, a rape crisis center in Lagos, Nigeria, talks on the concerning rates of rape and violence against women in Nigeria and the difficulties that women and girls face as they have to shelter in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Violence against women and girls is one of the most pervasive forms of a human rights violation and should be recognized by all countries," DaSilva-Ibru said.” (CNN)
Damboa. Ten Nigerian soldiers killed by Boko Haram insurgents near Damboa, a town in Nigeria’s Borno State. (Sahara Reporters)
Jihadists in NE Nigeria kill 11, others missing. (Ahram Online)
Rape as another pandemic (Guardian NG)
Must Reads: Demanding Systems Change for Women and Girls
In this week’s Must Reads: South African activists and women are calling for an end to domestic violence after three women are found dead. Amina Mohammed addresses boys and men to be a part of ending violence against women and girls in their homes and communities. Protests grow as a 5-year old girl is raped and murdered in Sierra Leone and uncertainty lies for her justice. UN Peacekeeping examines how the COVID-19 pandemic has seen exacerbated rates of domestic and sexual violence in conflict-ridden zones. Twitter developing a resource system for domestic abuse survivors in Asia and the Pacific.
- South Africa. 3 women killed in South Africa, highlighting the other pandemic that the country has faced: femicide and domestic violence. Women rights activists and officials are calling for greater transparency and accountability throughout all tiers of society, in order to combat domestic violence. (CNN)
- UN Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, calls on men and boys to stop violence against women and girls, especially with the surges of abuse cases during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Men and boys — I am talking to you: This is on you. Take responsibility. Speak up. Stand with women and girls.” (UN News)
- Examining the actions of human evil, dive into the behavioral elements of the mass shooter responsible for Nova Scotia’s mass shootings back in April and how his abuses towards his female partner prior to the shooting were warning signs to his atrocious acts. “It needs to acknowledge there are those who live, work, play, and volunteer among us who intentionally commit acts of human evil within relationships and within communities.” (The Nova Scotia Advocate)
- A 5-year old girl, Kadija, was raped and murdered in Sierra Leone. Hundreds protested in hopes for gaining justice for Kadija and creating lasting change in regards to how Sierra Leone handles sexual abuse cases and holds perpetrators accountable in its judicial system. (Amnesty International)
- UN Peacekeeping on how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected and seen rises in conflict related sexual violence across the world. Lockdowns, quarantines and restrictions on overall activity has limited safe access and support for survivors of sexual violence - especially those in conflict zones. While practicing safe public health measures, it's also vital to make sure that those in vulnerable and conflict-ridden places are moved into safer spaces. (Medium)
Additional Reading:
- Twitter partners up with UN Women to create access to helpline services on the platform for domestic abuse survivors in Asia and the Pacific, due to surges of domestic abuse cases and lack of resources during this time. “As lockdowns and stay-at-home orders are being prolonged by countries around the world to contain the spread of COVID-19, women with violent partners increasingly find themselves isolated from the people and resources that can help them. Connecting women who are feeling fearful or in danger is critical for their safety.” (UN Women)
ALSO:
- WATCH: New York Times journalist, Farnaz Fassihi, and women’s rights activist, Gabriela Jauregui, discuss the shadow pandemic of domestic violence and the spike in cases specifically in Iran and Mexico. (CNN)
- Thursdays in Black Toolkit: Resources compiled by the World Council of Churches to raise awareness about gender-based violences and how you can help through action, education and prayer! (World Council of Churches)
- TUNE IN: The 1st Annual Rotary Peace Fellowship Alumni Association's Global Cyber Peace Conference this Saturday, June 27th, 2020! This event will be a dynamic and interactive online experience featuring speakers and attendees from around the globe working collaboratively together from their own homes. The year’s theme is “Envisioning the World after The Great Pause”. More information on the event and registration: Rotary Peace Fellowship. Use this link to confirm what time sessions are in your location: https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html
- Registration is free with this code: ACCESSPEACE
- Indrani Goradia, founder of RAFT, which provides training to advocates in sexual and domestic violence shelters, will be a speaker during the Opening Plenary Session on Saturday @ 8:45AM EDT. Her topic is: Inspirational Storytelling.
Dr. Eleanor Nwadinobi, our founding Steering Committee Co-Chair, will be a speaker in the Gender and Peace Session @ 11:30 am CET to 1:00 pm CET. Her topic is: Women Peace and Security in the Context of the Boko Haram Conflict (Envisioning the future). Additional speakers in this session include: Dr. Louise Olsson, Senior Researcher and Coordinator of the PRIO, and more. For additional information and registration, visit: http://rpfaa.org/global-cyber-peace-conference/
Must Reads and an Invitation
In this week's Must Reads: How to exist in a world that seeks to erase women. Rights activists in Kenya have raised alarm after indications that gender-based-violence may be on the rise with restrictions on movement due to the coronavirus. Domestic violence assault followed by arson and mass shooting by perpetrator disguised as a RCMP officer in Nova Scotia. UK Pharmacies to provide safe spaces during coronavirus lockdown after rise in calls. Women mobilize to prevent COVID-19 in crowded Rohingya refugee camps. CEDAW Call for Contributions. Invitation to join Every Woman Treaty on May 11, 2020 via Zoom.
1. Rafia Zakaria: How to exist in a world that seeks to erase women. "The transformation we ultimately need as a society is (to get to a place) where it does not occur to men that they have the right or desire to harm women." (CNN)
2. Kenya: Agnes Odhiambo, a researcher on sub-Saharan Africa with the women's rights division of Human Rights Watch, "Now this is the situation that COVID has created where people are behind closed doors, there is no money. It’s a perfect environment for people who are abusive to even be more abusive or even for those who are usually not abusive to become abusive because of that stress, where they feel they need to exert their dominance in an environment where they are feeling kind of emasculated.” (VOA)
3. Victim of domestic violence aids police in Nova Scotia. Following a domestic violence incident, a woman somehow escaped and emerged from hiding at daybreak. She called 911 and informed the police the perptrator was in possession of a fully marked and equipped replica RCMP vehicle and was wearing an RCMP uniform. The perpetrator set multiple homes and buildings on fire, and targeted more than 20 people in a shooting spree. (National Post)
Related: Women face particular challenges due to gun access, as women are five times more likely to be killed if their partner owns a gun. Despite such danger, the US recently watered down the definition of domestic violence to include only physical harm at the level of a felony, excluding psychological abuse, coercion, and manipulation. (Mediators Without Borders)
4. United Kingdom: Boots Pharmacies to provide safe spaces during coronavirus lockdown after rise in calls. Many victims who are now unable to seek help while at home trapped with their abusers will still be expected to shop for food and medicine, and there have been calls for safe space initiatives to be introduced in supermarkets and more pharmacies. Multiple support services for domestic abuse have reported a surge in calls to helplines since the lockdown was imposed, while the Metropolitan police said it was making an average of about 100 arrests a day for offences linked to abuse in the home. (The Guardian)
5. Bangladesh: To counter the gendered risks and barriers for women and girls in Cox’s Bazar, Rohingya women leaders self-mobilized, forming networks and raising awareness on COVID-19 across all camps. The rise in domestic violence and other forms of violence against women as a result of social tensions and panic in the camps is another key concern for these women. Global estimates show that in crisis settings, more than 70 percent of women experience gender-based violence. (UN Women)
SPECIAL READ
- Call for Contributions: The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women is currently elaborating a General Recommendation on trafficking of women and girls in the context of global migration. The Committee decided to invite all interested parties to submit contributions in writing for the "Draft General Recommendation on TWGCGM".After a thorough and due consideration of contributions provided, only the Committee will decide on the contents of the final version of the General Recommendation on Trafficking of Women and Girls in the Context of Global Migration. (UN OHCHR)
Also…
Invitation: Join us online May 11, 2020 via Zoom at 1:00PM EDT / GMT -4). We will be discussing our global week of solidarity with survivors around the world inspired by Mexican artist Elina Chauvet's Red Shoes protest beginning on June 4, 2020. In 2009, Chauvet staged her first art installation of red shoes - representing the bloodshed women face in Mexico because of femicide, domestic, and sexualized violence. Her installations have inspired activists around the world - join us to hear a special message from Elina Chauvet and take a stand in solidarity. (Every Woman Treaty)
The COVID-19 pandemic will likely have adverse and disproportionate effects on women and girls around the world, particularly in the rise of gender-based violence. CARE is working to prevent and respond to this issue in 24 countries. “We know that when emergencies hit, women and girls come last,” says CARE’s Humanitarian Policy Director Susannah Friedman. (CARE)
“A Difficult Client”: Lynn’s Story of Captivity, Non-State Torture, and Human Trafficking by Her Husband. (International Journal of Advanced Nursing Education and Research)
Colombian journalist Jineth Bedoya Lima to receive 2020 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize. Born in 1974, Jineth Bedoya Lima’s reporting has focused on the armed conflict and peace process in Colombia and on sexual violence against women. Ms Bedoya Lima was herself a victim of sexual violence in 2000 when she was abducted and raped in connection with an investigation into arms trafficking she was conducting for daily newspaper El Espectador. Three years later, while working for the daily El Tiempo, she was kidnapped by militants of the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
“The courage and commitment of Jineth Bedoya Lima, doubly exposed to unacceptable risks as a woman and as a journalist, inspire profound respect,” said UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay. “We need the work of professional and independent journalists.”
“The present pandemic highlights the vital role journalists play in providing all of us with access to reliable, in some cases vital, information in crises situations,” Ms. Azoulay added. “It also shows the many risks journalists face everywhere in the world in the exercise of their profession.” (UNESCO)
- Nobel Women: Tune in Monday, May 4th at 11 am ET for a Facebook Live conversation with outgoing UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights Defenders, Michel Forst, to talk risks and challenges faced by women human rights defenders and how the global community can act to protect them.
- Listen: FiLiA Podcast with Simi Kamal. Simi Kamal is head of grants at the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund. Simi joins FiLiA to discuss her experience and work as part of the Every Woman Treaty - a campaign to end violence against women and girls worldwide. (FiLiA)
- The Rotary Foundation: Now accepting applications for the 2021-22 Rotary Peace Fellowshi
p program. Candidates have until 31 May to submit applications to their district. Districts must submit endorsed applications to The Rotary Foundation by 1 July. (Rotary) (BBC)
Must Reads: As Helplines are Flooded with Calls, Governments Respond to Spike in Violence Against Women and Girls
In this week's Must Reads: Five ways governments are responding to violence against women and children during COVID-19 from UNICEF. In lockdown Bolivia, calls from abused girls flood hotline. Ethiopia's missing students, Families' pain and the unsolved mystery. The danger of Covid-19 for refugees: Concerns mount as displaced populations are particularly vulnerable. UK Home Secretary insists there is support available for at-risk women as charities report massive increase in calls. More must reads include harrowing reports from India and Mexico.
1. Since the coronavirus lockdown began in Bolivia, Brisa De Angulo's charity for sexually abused children has received hundreds of telephone calls from girls trapped in homes with their abusers. "The risk has increased exponentially. Now children are 24/7 with their aggressors." Her charity, Breeze of Hope, provides free legal and psychological help to thousands of child victims in Bolivia's central city of Cochabamba. (Thomson Reuters)
2. Ethiopia: "We are grieving. I can't stop thinking about her. The entire family can't eat," a visibly pained Mare Abebe told the BBC. She is worried about Belaynesh Mekonnen, a first-year economics student at Ethiopia's Dembi Dolo University, who was kidnapped last December, along with 17 of her colleagues. (BBC)
3. UNICEF: Reports have warned of the “perfect storm”, manifesting in increased calls to helplines, online support services, and police reports. Multinational organisations quickly took action, issuing statements warning of increased risk of both forms of violence, while researchers reviewed evidence from past crises, proposing policy actions to mitigate against potential harm to populations in situations of vulnerability. Family Policies. Childcare. (UNICEF)
4. International Rescue Committee: Displaced populations are particularly vulnerable to the dangers of the coronaviru. David Miliband, President and CEO, told the New Yorker, "Covid-19 is a disease of the connected world, where all of us are only as strong as the weakest link in the chain, where the only solution has got to be a universal solution." (New Yorker)
5. United Kingdom: The UK’s largest domestic abuse charity, Refuge, has reported a 700% increase in calls to its helpline in a single day, while a separate helpline for perpetrators of domestic abuse seeking help to change their behaviour received 25% more calls after the start of the Covid-19 lockdown. (The Guardian)
SPECIAL READ
- Ashwini Deshpande: In locked down India, women fight coronavirus and domestic violence. The stories seem to follow a script. Countries declare lockdown, and within 10 days, calls to helplines see a spike. Women call in distress because they or their children are being abused at home, with or without physical violence. (Quartz)
- Beyond the Coronavirus: In Mexico, the new sororidad is no longer interested in securing a stronger role for women in Mexican society; it’s gunning for a louder, more radical feminism, pulling up the roots of the old system — which it claims innately dehumanizes women — as it nurtures a new one. Its first demand is radical enough: “Stop killing us.” (Women's Media Center)
- The Rotary Foundation: Now accepting applications for the 2021-22 Rotary Peace
Fellowship program. Candidates have until 31 May to submit applications to their district. Districts must submit endorsed applications to The Rotary Foundation by 1 July. (Rotary) (BBC)
Share your stories with Every Woman Treaty with a reply to this email, or contact me directly at Elizabeth@everywoman.org.
Must Reads: UN and WHO Spotlight Domestic Violence Amid Lockdowns
In this week's Must Reads: Leaders from the United Nations and the World Health Organization address the impact of Covid-19 and the disproportionate impact on women and girls. South Africa addresses 87,000 incidents of gender based violence reported during the 21 day Covid-19 lockdown. In Saudi Arabia, "Women are carrying the double burden of fighting the spread of virus infections and attacks by perpetrators of gender-based violence.” Kenya responds to the spike in sexualized and gender based violence, including the kidnap and rape of a 16 year old girl. She was rescued by neighbors and is now being cared for in a safe house in Nairobi. The attacker reportedly said he kidnapped her because he needed female company to get through the government-imposed COVID-19 lockdown
SPECIAL READ
Share your stories with Every Woman Treaty with a reply to this email, or contact me directly at Elizabeth@everywoman.org. |
Must Reads: No Place to Hide
In this week's Must Reads: Amid lockdowns, shutdowns, curfews, and social distancing, there is a rise in reported cases of sexualized violence. In the UK, "It's a perfect storm," Suzanne Jacob, chief executive of British charity SafeLives. Reports of domestic abuse have spiked by about 30% since France went into lockdown in mid-March. In Pakistan, between 70 to 90 percent of women experience some form of physical, emotional or psychological abuse— mostly from an intimate partner.
1. "Lockdowns will lead to a surge in domestic abuse, but also severely limit the ability of services to help." As the United Kingdom shut down, charities urged employers, bank staff, healthworkers and neighbours to be extra vigilant, adding that even a note dropped in a grocery bag could be a lifeline for a woman trapped with an abusive partner. (Thomson Reuters)
2. Reports of domestic abuse have spiked by about 30% since France went into lockdown in mid-March. French officials set up an “alert system” in pharmacies nationwide, where victims of domestic abuse could discreetly ask the pharmacist to call police by asking for a “mask 19.” The initiative mimics a scheme set up in Spain’s Canary Islands that uses the same code word. (Vice)
3. France announced that it will pay for 20,000 nights in hotel rooms for victims of domestic violence and open pop-up counseling centers at supermarkets. There are worrying reports from other countries, too. "There has always been gender violence, but this crisis makes it all worse," said Simona Ammerata, who works at the Lucha y Siesta women's shelter in Rome, Italy. (CNN)
4. "For decades, critically important public programs and structures have been starved of funding, and efforts to ensure that women have adequate income, health care, worker protections, support for caregivers, nutrition and housing assistance have been met with relentless resistance," said Fatima Goss Graves, head of the National Women's Law Center, in a statement to CBS News on Tuesday. "Those efforts have placed women and their families at unconscionable risk from the COVID-19 crisis." (CBS)
5. In Pakistan, the most-cited estimate says between 70 to 90 percent of women experience some form of physical, emotional or psychological abuse— mostly from an intimate partner. Acts of physical violence in marital relationships are almost always accompanied by psychological abuse, and in thirty to fifty percent of cases, it is also accompanied by sexual abuse. Such abuse is typically part of an on-going pattern of patriarchal control, rather than an isolated act of physical aggression. (DAWN)
SPECIAL READ
- From Indrani Goradia on Thrive Global. In her piece No Place to Hide, she notes: "This Coronavirus pandemic is forcing closures of schools and workplaces. As I began to do my work in the gender violence space, I realized that victims have the same fears about being at home with a raging abuser. When the abuser is at home, violence occurs. When the abuser is at work, the victim gets a respite, either because they (victims) go to work themselves or because they(victims) are at home alone."When we add the ongoing pandemic of violence to women, it is easy to see that there will be more pain for women who are being forced to spend time at home."
Also…
Podcast with Indrani Goradia: Pandemic Inside a Pandemic. Listen on Our Voices Matter.
Coronavirus lockdown in India: Vimlesh Solanki, a volunteer for a Sambhali Trust, an organisation that supports women in Jodhpur, the second largest city in Rajasthan, says coronavirus has put women in danger. "Stressful situations like this means that there are more things that trigger their already abusive partners." (BBC)
Here’s What Women’s Rights Lawyers Want You To Know About Supporting Working Women During COVID-19. (Refinery29)
UNFPA issues guidance on COVID-19. Women represent 70 percent of the health and social sector workforce globally and special attention should be given to how their work environment may expose them to discrimination, as well as thinking about their sexual and reproductive health and psychosocial needs as frontline health workers.
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Fellowship program. Candidates have until 31 May to submit applications to their district. Districts must submit endorsed applications to The Rotary Foundation by 1 July. (Rotary) (BBC)
Share your stories with Every Woman Treaty via email at Elizabeth@everywoman.org.