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CONTEXT<\/strong><\/p>\n Reduced availability of frontline healthcare workers\u00a0 is likely, since the entire health system is focused on the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic<\/p>\n Understanding why emergency situations like pandemics trigger and aggravate diverse forms of interpersonal violence, including violence against women and girls (VAWG) is essential to inform effective policy responses.<\/p>\n ANALYSIS<\/strong><\/p>\n It is well established how health emergencies and humanitarian situations increase the vulnerabilities of women, children and those living on the margins. Despite the potential \u2018window of opportunity\u2019 created by disasters to reform societal structures, women remain at great risk as crisis situations often reinforce gender stereotypes and control over women\u2019s choices, limiting their access to support services.<\/p>\n Gender inequalities<\/strong> can also worsen after emergencies due to the combination of the disaster and the failure of protective systems. At the policy level, the increased focus on addressing the immediate life and livelihood issues tends to relegate violence and protection concerns in the initial stages of crisis response.<\/p>\n Economic insecurity<\/strong> caused by the disruption of livelihoods correlates with poor coping strategies (like substance misuse), which can increase intimate partner violence and child mistreatment. Women may be at greater risk of economic abuse too, as resources become scarce.<\/p>\n Quarantines and social isolation can also intensify violence.<\/strong> Evidence focused on other crisis settings \u2014 including refugee camps and humanitarian assistance zones \u2014 finds when family members are in close proximity under conditions of duress for extended periods of time, rates of violence against women and children\u00a0are high. Quarantines also increase daily exposure to perpetrators.<\/p>\n The impact of school and university closures is also widespread. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization estimates that 107 countries\u00a0have closed their educational institutions, impacting\u00a0over 861.7 million children and youth.<\/strong><\/p>\n Past experiences show that school closures and such crisis increase girls\u2019 likelihood of dropping out of school,\u00a0escalating chances\u00a0of early and enforced marriage and sexual violence.<\/p>\n Reduced availability of health services and frontline healthcare workers \u2014 who are often the first point of contact for survivors of violence \u2014 is likely, since the entire health system is focused on awareness and responding to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.<\/p>\n Survivors of violence, thus, have fewer coping and redressal mechanisms available to them and may even avoid seeking health services for physical abuse and injuries for fear of possible infection.<\/p>\n Telephone helplines<\/strong><\/p>\n Maintaining and strengthening non-contact-based redressal mechanisms like helplines is vital, given the demand for physical distancing warranted by COVID-19. In India, the National Commission for Women\u00a0recorded a more than twofold rise in gender-based violence during the nationwide lockdown.<\/p>\n The total complaints from women rose to 257 between March 23 and April 1, 2020 from 116 between March 2 and 8, with the majority of cases reported from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana\u00a0and Punjab.<\/p>\n Distress calls from children\u00a0also increased by half during the lockdown period. It is important, however, to understand that due to social isolation \u2014 which can reduce women\u2019s privacy and increase their daily contact with perpetrators \u2014 underreporting of VAWG is very likely.<\/p>\n Women\u2019s limited usage of mobile phones in India \u2014\u00a0a recent study\u00a0estimated just 38 per cent women use phones in the country compared to 71 per cent men \u2014 puts into question the ability of phone-based mechanisms to provide survivors of violence the support and care they need in this difficult time, emphasising the need to strengthen local and community platforms.<\/p>\n Robust community response<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Community vigilance and support is of essence under the given circumstances: Identifying, reaching out and supporting women and girls who survive violence through local mechanisms is key.<\/p>\n There is evidence telling us how our local governments, Panchayats, self-help groups (SHGs) and frontline health workers \u2014 if equipped with the right perspectives \u2014 can identify vulnerable women and provide immediate support.<\/p>\n Over the long term, increasing resources available to first responders like frontline healthcare workers, members of SHGs, Gram Panchayat members and integrating preventive and recourse programming on violence against women and girls into disaster preparedness is required.<\/p>\n With devolution of power to the Gram Panchayat and wards, Panchayat members are increasingly being seen as key catalysts for accelerating transformation in rural India. This includes addressing harmful social practices and achieving gender equality. Gram Panchayats in Bihar were at the forefront of spearheading campaigns to end child marriage and dowry.<\/p>\n There is evidence from the\u00a0Do Kadam<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0intervention implemented by non-profit Centre for Catalyzing Change in partnership with non-profit Population Council and others in Patna district.<\/p>\n The programme aimed to orient and engage locally elected leaders \u2014 members of Gram Panchayats and gram\u00a0kachehris\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>\u2014 in changing community norms relating to the acceptability of violence against women and preventing violence against women.<\/p>\n Almost all Panchayati Raj Institute members reported gender-egalitarian attitudes and attitudes about the acceptability of violence against women: Most discussed the need to reduce alcohol abuse in their village and maintain closer, more harmonious and\u00a0violence-free marital relations.<\/p>\n The other very acceptable sources of support are Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) and Anganwadi Workers, who have regular access to women and their homes.<\/strong><\/p>\n In the process of providing health and nutrition information, care and services to mothers and children, they have the opportunity to screen women for their experience of violence, provide initial, basic advice and link them to official support services like helplines or women police stations.<\/p>\n There is interesting evidence on this from the\u00a0Do Kadam<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0model as well, which shows that though the quality of interaction and support may not be the best, it did serve to inform women about their rights and encouraged them to share their experiences and seek informal support.<\/p>\n While help seeking was far from universal, there was a huge increase from baseline to endline in the number of women who shared their experiences with friends and family (34 per cent from 18 per cent) or sought services from formal sources (12 per cent from 7 per cent).<\/p>\n Just three per cent women reported interactions on matters pertaining to violence with ASHA or Anganwadi Workers, at baseline. Close to half of all women (48 per cent), however, reported that ASHA or Anganwadi Workers had screened them, provided them the\u00a0Do Kadam<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0brochure on services for women experiencing violence or informed them about women\u2019s rights, available services and safety issues related to violence at the endline.<\/p>\n In several cases, the womens\u2019 husbands or family members\u00a0were counselled as well.<\/p>\n Collectivising women through SHGs is a proven strategy not just to improve their access to decent livelihoods, income and savings, but is also an effective way to build women\u2019s agency and address issues around nutrition, health and social norms.<\/p>\n There are several good practices where women\u2019s collectives have come together to address domestic violence. Once again, findings from the\u00a0Do Kadam\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>intervention with SHG members showed that exposure\u00a0to the project\u00a0had succeeded in increasing SHG members\u2019 agency, financial literacy, access to peer networks, and social support in case of violence.<\/p>\n Thirty-three per cent of married women, between ages 15 and 49, have experienced physical, sexual or emotional violence from their partners, according to the 2015-16 National Family Health Survey.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Very few, however, seek help: Only 14 per cent of women experiencing physical or sexual violence did in 2015-16,\u00a0a steep decline\u00a0from 24 per cent in 2005-06.<\/p>\n The reasons for this could be many:<\/strong><\/span> From financial dependence, poor quality services and social stigma against women survivors, women suffer in silence. In the post-COVID-19 economy, with job losses and falling incomes, violence is bound to increase and existing support systems remain inadequate.<\/p>\n Solutions, thus, lie in acknowledgement of the problem and policy prioritisation for a coordinated response. It is in the best interest of the survivor if the community reaches out to her.<\/p>\n Local governments, beginning at the Panchayat, can lead a coordinated initiative of zero tolerance for violence and provide much-needed outreach to women.<\/p>\n Frontline healthcare workers and SHG members can be able allies, along with community-based women\u2019s organisations. All of these can happen sooner, even while more formal mechanisms like helplines and police stations enhance their resources and capacities.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n For more such notes, Articles, News & Views Join our Telegram Channel.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n![\"Violence](\"https:\/\/www.paho.org\/salud-en-las-americas-2017\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/4.2.Figure2_ENG-corrected2.png\")
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