Ever since Miss ‘Rona updated her status to Pandemic, it seems as though the world has somewhat come to a warped standstill. All we can hear and think about is this virus that doesn’t seem to be slowing down for anything or anyone. Everything else either comes in second or last place in this newly established hierarchy, including the silent pandemic, domestic violence.
There are plenty of measures being taken to protect women and children as well as their rights; one cannot help but commend these efforts. However, the voices of those advocating for the abused have been drowned and muted by COVID-19 and the lockdown. For many, leaving home for work and/or school was an escape. Just a sliver of freedom. Where are they now? Effectively trapped in their personal hells known as home. Who will they turn to and what will entail behind closed doors?
Unfortunately, more times than one can bear, we hear cases of women losing their lives at the hands of their partners -6 out of 10 women, according to The 2017 report of United Nation Office on Drugs and Crime– or young girls being sexually abused by their fathers and uncles; more so in the rural areas of our continent. Before the outbreak, women and girls were already at risk.
Dear governments, what are you doing to ensure the safety of our sistas, who were never safe in the first place?
“One out of three women in the world experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, according to the World Health Organization, making it “the most widespread but among the least reported human rights abuses.” While men experience domestic violence, women make up the majority of victims, with LGBTQ individuals also facing elevated rates of domestic violence. But during times of crisis—such as natural disasters, wars, and epidemics—the risk of gender-based-violence escalates. In China, the number of domestic violence cases reported to the local police tripled in February compared to the previous year, according to Axios. Activists say this is a result of enforced lockdown.”
According to UN Women, in France… cases of domestic violence have increased by 30% since the lockdown on March 17. Helplines in Cyprus and Singapore have registered an increase in calls by 30% and 33%, respectively. In Argentina, emergency calls for domestic violence cases have increased by 25% since the lockdown started.
One can only wonder what these numbers must be for us when we’ve already heard of the whopping 87,000 cases in South Africa. This is more than alarming and downright infuriating. We live in a man’s world and we know it. As long as you’re not a (white) straight male, you’ll never thrive in the world we live in. The lockdown is more than essential if we want to contain the spread of the virus and keep people safe, however, it seems that as usual, no one in power was thinking about women. Not the president, members of parliament, the authorities, no one; and now perpetrators have resorted to COVID-19 symptoms scare tactics. Isolating women and denying them medical attention and financial means for their essentials, as if the emotional, verbal and physical abuse wasn’t enough.
We often ask ourselves why don’t victims just leave. But anyone with an understanding of what life is about will point out and realize that nothing is ever black and white. Many of us have the ‘couldn’t be me’ mentality because we haven’t experienced a certain type of suffering. We tell ourselves that we’d fight off and leave the abuser, walk away from the toxic relationship, or that we wouldn’t get raped because we don’t wear provocative clothing. Yet I know a substantial amount of us can also say that that mentality will get you nowhere; we were just victims and it’s time we started abstaining from this victim-blaming narrative. It is ignorant as it is unnecessary.
For many victims, especially in third world countries where their rights aren’t as protected, leaving their abusers doesn’t seem like a possibility. Many fear retaliation, seeing as up to 75 percent women are often killed after leaving an abusive relationship. Furthermore, abusers are usually the breadwinners or the one in charge of the finances, and as a result, victims will remain because they don’t have the financial means to take care of themselves or children if they are present. Moreover, there’s the fear of losing children in a custody battle, the lack of support from friends and family as well the hope that the partner will change. With the lockdown, if there ever was a chance for a great escape, it surely is gone now.
Lastly, there are many children who had school as a means to escape abuse from homes, even if it was only for a few hours of their day.
“In many ways, the disease is now reaching children and families far beyond those it directly infects,” said Cornelius Williams, UNICEF Chief of Child Protection.
“Schools are closing. Parents are struggling to care for their children and make ends meet. The protection risks for children are mounting. This guidance provides governments and protection authorities with an outline of practical measures that can be taken to keep children safe during these uncertain times.”
So I ask once again, what are governments doing exactly to ensure the safety of our sistas and children? Many issues in the world never really make world news. With great power comes great responsibility, and these men at the top who fought and sought their way into power have done exactly what for their people? All their people?
The voices are there, waiting to be heard. Where are the microphones? Too many times, women and children have callously been strewn aside as if they don’t keep this world spinning or as if they are not the leaders of tomorrow. The police and military continue to roam the streets to ensure that people stay home but what about those who need policing from within their homes?
People in power enable those below them to ensnare us and keep in a ball and chain shackles, even in these perilous times. Will it ever end?
Written by Theresa Ntswaki. The article reflects her personal views, not any organisation she is associated with.
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