We have seen a global increase in cases of gender-based violence with the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. On 22nd April 2020, Jaslika hosted its inaugural webinar on “Sexual and Gender-based Violence in Crisis Situations” to discuss this situation. The international panel of experts at the webinar were Berhan Taye, a senior policy analyst at Access Now; Dr. Changu Mannathoko, the country managing partner at Joint Minds Consult in Botswana; Justice Martha Koome, a judge in the Kenyan Court of Appeal and the Chair of the National Council on the Administration of Justice (NCAJ) Special Task Force on Children Matters; and Megan O’Donnell, the assistant director of the gender programme and a senior policy analyst at the Center for Global Development in Washington D.C.. The panel of experts sought to address why crisis situations, and pandemics in particular, aggravate gender-based violence, as well as its impacts on children and women. They also looked into good practices in various countries, capacity gaps, needs, and strategies on how to mitigate the impacts. Below are 9 key takeaways  from the webinar:

1. Increased Violence Due to Economic Insecurity.

Megan O’Donnell identified nine pathways that link effects of crisis situations, including pandemics directly and indirectly to increases in gender-based violence. Economic insecurity and poverty related stress is one of these pathways. The COVID - 19 pandemic is resulting in increased joblessness and reductions in income, which in turn are causing tensions within households.  Many are turning to substance abuse as a coping strategy. There is evidence that links increased substance abuse with increased violence. 

2. Cabin Fever and Lack of Access to Social Networks

Restrictions on people’s movement because of lockdowns, social distancing and quarantines are forcing them to spend more and more time together within the confines of their homes. This is  also aggravating tensions and stress, which is being manifested in increased cases of violence against women and children. Megan referenced research highlighting  increased domestic and intimate partner violence during humanitarian crises among internally displaced persons and refugee communities triggered by stress from containment and isolation from other community members and local populations that they may have left behind.

Quarantining and social distancing is also leading to limited access to social networks i.e friends and family who would ordinarily act as a frontline protection for ensuring that violence is handled and eliminated. Schools have been closed down in many parts of the world as part of the containment measures. This has had the unexpected consequence of making children vulnerable to sexual abuse at home perpetrated by their close relatives and neighbours. Judge Koome reported a spike of 41% in cases of sexual violence against children appearing before the courts in Kenya since the closure of schools..

3. Lack of Access to Legal Systems.

As highlighted by all the panelists, we are currently experiencing a problem with access to justice. Because courts haven’t been listed as essential services in many countries including Kenya they are not operating optimally at the moment. As Justice Koome noted, court cases are being heard on-line to reduce risks of coronavirus infections from spreading. However, people’s access to the digital space is uneven depending on gender, socio-economic status and where they come from. We find women, mostly in rural areas, are not able to participate in court cases offered remotely through use of digital platforms.

At the same time, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to report cases of domestic violence;  the police in Kenya, for example,  appear to be too preoccupied with enforcing government directives on curfews and social distancing to pay much attention to cases of domestic violence.

4. Increased Cases of Transactional Sex.

Evidence from the Ebola crisis suggests that a combination of economic duress and school closure drives many adolescent girls into the arms of older men.  Megan cited research  showing that girls are also pressured by their families to engage in transactional sex in exchange for food, transport, vaccines and basic healthcare items to name a few. Cases have been reported of aid workers who use their position of power to engage in transactional sex with beneficiaries by incentivizing things like food, transport and and even vaccines.

Justice Koome observed that with the girls being home from school, they might not have the same access to certain personal care items like sanitary towels that are available in schools in Kenya and some other countries. Perpetrators use this to lure vulnerable girls into transactional sex. An immediate consequence of increased incidence of transactional sex during crisis situations is a corresponding increase in teen pregnancy. A longer term effect would be the inability of such girls to return to school when it does reopen.

5. Increase in Violence Against Healthworkers.

Women make up 70% of the global health workforce and are currently in the frontline as essential workers. The Covid - 19 pandemic is heightening inter-personal stress and straining healthcare systems. There are already media reports of stigmatisation of health workers; it is predicted that verbal, sexual and other forms of gender-based violence against female health workers in particular are likely to increase.

6. Increased Online gender-based violence.

Berhan Taye cited research by the Uganda-based Association for Progress Communication and Policy that 30% of women have experienced some form of gender-based violence online. This includes cyberstalking, revenge porn, publishing of people’s naked or nude pictures without their consent all the way to trolling and online harassment. She also pointed out that 95% of the people surveyed said that they did not know of any legislation that could protect them or what the reporting procedure would be. 

7. Toxic Masculinity.

Not only are men who are infected with coronavirus more at risk for worse outcomes and death than women, they are more likely to engage in poor coping strategies like substance abuse, especially smoking, that make them susceptible to hypertension, respiratory problems and other health risks. Megan described this as a form of toxic masculinity that is self-destructive. She argued that men are in need of quality health and self care,  drawing  attention to the work of Promundo, a global consortium that engages boys and men to promote gender equality and prevent violence.  

We know that toxic masculinity can be found at the heart of GBV and as Dr. Mannathoko  put it there needs to be interventions put in practice to  promote positive masculinity by addressing the impact of toxic masculinity in escalating GBV. Positive masculinity promotes boys and men to support others, share experiences or master skills that make a positive impact on the world.

8. Lack of Adequate Data to inform Policy On SRGBV.

Laws and policies on school related gender-based violence (SRGBV) are not always grounded in rigorous research. This prevents them from being effective and poses implementation challenges.. Dr Mannathoko cited research done by UNAIDS, UNESCO, and UNICEF, which showed that teachers are very eager to learn how to address gender-based violence in schools but they don’t have the needed skills. She underscored the importance of continuously undertaking action research to inform, monitor and evaluate SRGBV; document, share and monitor working models, scalable best practices and innovations on ending school related gender-based violence. 

9. Virus Specific Violence

When we look at access to PPEs and access to testing we see that there are choices being made by healthcare systems in different parts of the world, prioritizing the life and safety of some demographics over others. Such choices are in and of itself a form of violence and discrimination. Megan warned that the coronavirus, like HIV, may be used as a tool for perpetrating violence against others. 

The Final Words

I’d like to leave you with these words from Megan O'Donnell: “As the Judge has said, gender-based violence is magnified in times of crisis. I think I fully identify with that. As we discussed, it's its own crisis. Before Covid-19 swept the globe,  1 in 3 women already experienced physical or sexual violence in her life time. Almost half of female homicides are committed by intimate partners. So if we are all fortunate enough, if and when, to get back to our lives as they once were, out of quarantine and social distancing circumstances, the hope is that this issue has been brought to light, more so than it ever has been and we can't go back to business as usual. This has to stay as a key public health and human rights priority.”