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Abstract
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Introduction to Gender-Based Violence
Without awareness, there will be less action. Imagine what today's world would be if we did not discuss the COVID-19 pandemic on a global scale, and if conversations about a pandemic that is killing millions of people around the world were swept under the rug. This is the reality of women and girls across the world who are victims of gender-based violence (GBV) as we do not shed light on the hostility they face due to structural violence. In fact, GBV affects more than 30% of girls and women and is often an unspoken violation of human rights. There are many forms of GBV, such as diminished access to health care, the gender pay gap, and child marriage. Women who are displaced or living as refugees, transgender women, and women living in conflict-afflicted areas are particularly vulnerable to these determinants.
Double Pandemic: GBV and COVID-19, a Public Health Concern
During the COVID-19 global pandemic, GBV has been exacerbated due in part to enforced prevention measures, such as lockdowns, quarantine, and isolation that has restricted the movement of women and girls outside their homes. Isolation is often a tactic of perpetrators and has increased women's exposure to abusers and tension in the home. Research by the United Nations shows that cases of violence against women have risen by 25% during the pandemic, making GBV a major public health concern.
This pandemic gives us the opportunity to deepen our reflection on actions taken against all forms of violence toward women today, especially when the Global Girlhood Report 2020 predicted that due to the pandemic, 500 000 more girls are at risk of being forced into child marriage, and 1 million more are expected to become pregnant. This could lead to a possible increase in death among girls aged 15 to 19 years, as childbirth is the leading cause of death in girls within this age bracket. These young girls are also at risk of never returning to school, thereby losing out on comprehensive education as well as the skills and economic freedom that education brings...
Language: en |