Podcasts: 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence
Listen to our podcast series here! This series, produced by Action Against Hunger’s International Gender Unit, is just one of the ways we are marking the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. In this series, we explore the links between the COVID-19 pandemic and gender-based violence through interviews with leading experts in the field.
The pandemic has resulted in an alarming increase in violence against women and girls. According to UN Women, globally, 243 million women and girls were abused by an intimate partner in the past year. Meanwhile, less than 40 per cent of women who experience violence report it or seek help. The intensification of domestic violence as a result of lockdown measures has led to a five-fold increase in calls to helplines in some countries. Lockdown measures have also made it harder to seek help and access support through regular channels.
The pandemic also disproportionately impacts women and girls in many other ways:
- Women represent 70% of health workers worldwide, and are disproportionately represented in lower-status, lower-paid (or unpaid) positions. Women are also primarily responsible for caring for sick family members, resulting in increased risk of exposure to the virus.
- Women are more economically vulnerable than men and have less access to social protection mechanisms. This makes them vulnerable to exploitation, abuse, forced marriage and harassment. The pandemic has exacerbated these inequalities.
- The pandemic has put sexual and reproductive rights at risk, as women’s health services have been reduced or suspended. Women are also avoiding accessing these services due to fear of contagion.
Join Global Gender Advisor Clara Ituero to learn more about the complex linkages between COVID-19 and GBV, and how the pandemic has impacted our work at Action Against Hunger. You will find podcasts in English, French and Spanish.
16 Days of Activism: Episode 9 – OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES (EN)
16 Days of Activism: Episode 8 – Colombia (ES)
16 Days of Activism: Episode 7 – West and Central Africa (FR)
16 Days of Activism: Episode 6 – Peru (ES)
16 Days of Activism: Episode 5 – Social Action Spain (ES)
16 Days of Activism: Episode 4 – Lebanon (EN)
16 Days of Activism: Episode 3 – Guatemala (ES)
16 Days of Activism: Episode 2 – Syria (EN)
16 Days of Activism: Episode 1 – Latin America (ES)
16 Days of Activism: Introduction (ES)
16 Days of Activism: Introduction (FR)