Browse by Theme: Gender Based Violence

Co-authored by Hester Le Roux and Siddikur Rahman

As the Generation Equality Forum kicks off in Mexico City this week, we pause to reflect on all the challenges women still face on the road to equality and equity – especially given wide recognition that the global COVID-19 pandemic has impacted women disproportionately, threatening to set back the gender equality agenda by years, if not decades.

“It makes both moral and business sense to be a leader in addressing the problem of gender-based violence and harassment.” These were the words of Scott Deitz, Founder of Convene Communication Strategies and former Vice-President at VF Corporation, as he opened the recent Learning Summit organized by CARE and Better Work.

“I felt humiliated and could not focus on my work after I was harassed by my co-worker. I decided to report to the sexual harassment prevention committee because I trust them.” Pha*, a garment worker in Cambodia, is employed by a factory which has been working with CARE to improve how they respond to reports of workplace sexual harassment. We helped them build an environment where gender-based violence is not tolerated and women are more confident to report incidents of abuse.

CARE and others have written about the increase of gender-based violence (GBV) in COVID-19, and how that has incredibly damaging impacts around the world. One of the successes of the COVID-19 response globally has been the attention global actors – up to and including the Secretary General of the United Nations – are paying to the “shadow pandemic” instead of allowing it to pass in silence, overshadowed by other facets of crisis.

Violence against women and girls or gender-based violence (GBV), whether it takes place in the home, in the workplace, in public spaces, schools or communities is one of the most widespread human rights abuses around the world. On average, 1 in 3 women globally experiences physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, usually from an intimate partner. In addition to devastating impacts on the dignity, security and wellbeing of survivors, violence against women also has broad social and economic costs across societies, including costs on public services, lost income and productivity.

On 17 March 2020, the Jordanian government introduced measures to tackle the spread of COVID-19 in Jordan. Under such measures, Jordanians were only able to leave their homes between 8.00am and 6.00pm. Every day at 6.00pm, a curfew siren would be sounded, after which point no one was permitted to leave their property. The punishments for breaking such measures were severe as the Jordanian government imposed one of the strictest nationwide lockdowns in the world, with lawbreakers facing arrest and up to a year in prison.

Child, early, and forced marriage (CEFM) happens in nearly every country on the planet and has devastating consequences, especially for young girls. These types of marriages are often followed quickly by pregnancy, which carries huge risks, as the adolescent girls most affected by CEFM are not mentally or physically mature enough to carry a child and give birth. Still, most married girls are expected to get pregnant as soon as possible. Why the rush? And why do some couples choose to defy expectations and postpone having their first child?