Several countries report that domestic violence figures have increased, due to the confinement imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Australian government reported a 75% increased in search for help on domestic violence, while a French minister said DV rose 32% accross France in just one week. In India, Lebanon and Malaysia calls to helplines doubled, while in China they tripled - Please read Lockdown has sparked a horrifying surge in domestic violence.
The jump in Latin America's domestic abuse is so exacerbated that one can actually recognised it as Another pandemic, as a Reuters story puts it. The diagnosis is disturbingly accurate, given that domestic abuse related calls for help have increased 67% in Argentina, and rose to staggering 130% in Colombia, during the country's 18 first days of quarantine. Brazil has made no surveys, but local authorities estimate a rise between 40% and 50% in Rio de Janeiro, and about 45% in the city of São Paulo, the worst hit by the pandemic in the country.
Why has domestic violence spiked during the pandemic? Confinement puts abusers and women together all the time, which means increased exposure to aggressors. In many cases, this also means increased difficulty to ask for help and get away. Many traditional scape routes have been cut out due to the lockdown.
Some stories argue that confinement has boosted stress due to economic pressures - people risk losing their jobs - and psychological discomfort by being cooped up in small spaces, often with kids. In the UK, domestic abused has risen about 49%, and other countries have reported a surge in DV as well, in Europe and in the USA. This picture has made UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, urge governments "to put women's safety first as they respond to the pandemic". Please access the FT Magazine, How the pandemic trapped domestic violence victims in hell
Are governments worlwide following the UN Secretary-General appeal?
NO.
They shall NOT do so.
Why not?
Governments and decision-makers give a DAMN to women's safety, women's rights, women's lives.
The proof of what I say is that no country has ever publicly condemned other countries for officially discriminating against women. Have the USA ever said a word against Saudi Arabia's policies on women? Have other countries ever said a word against Iran's policies against women?
Have Western democracies ever said a word against Brazil's laws an policies against women?
No.
Has the WHO ever declared DV a pandemic? No. Not that I know.
The WHO is too busy making sure that mothers (that is, women) are harassed and tortured at the so called "Baby-Friendly" hospitals and forced to breastfeed, even against their will, no matter how exhausted they are, no matter nothing else, because mothers must die for their children if necessary, right?
No, the WHO s'en fout of DV.
No State is likely to acknowlege DV as a pandemic, although no doubt it proves to be a pandemic, too, during this COVID-19 crisis.
The truth is that domestic violence has been a longtime pandemic that no one want to see, no one wants to be seen, and least of all to fight.
I tell you this: in spite of the DV's rise, we face an opportunity now. An opportunity to make domestic abusers pay the price of their abuses. Of putting women's safety first.
But it will take guts to break up with the "politically correct" dictatorship.
The COVID-19 jeopardises many people's jobs, right? Besides, health services are overwhelmed, because there are many sick people and few care givers.
So let's make domestic abusers pay the price. Let's force them out of quarantine and make these guys work in health services' front line.
They will drive ambulances, clean up health facilities, perform whatever task they can.
Think about it.
Why has domestic violence spiked during the pandemic? Confinement puts abusers and women together all the time, which means increased exposure to aggressors. In many cases, this also means increased difficulty to ask for help and get away. Many traditional scape routes have been cut out due to the lockdown.
Some stories argue that confinement has boosted stress due to economic pressures - people risk losing their jobs - and psychological discomfort by being cooped up in small spaces, often with kids. In the UK, domestic abused has risen about 49%, and other countries have reported a surge in DV as well, in Europe and in the USA. This picture has made UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, urge governments "to put women's safety first as they respond to the pandemic". Please access the FT Magazine, How the pandemic trapped domestic violence victims in hell
Are governments worlwide following the UN Secretary-General appeal?
NO.
They shall NOT do so.
Why not?
Governments and decision-makers give a DAMN to women's safety, women's rights, women's lives.
The proof of what I say is that no country has ever publicly condemned other countries for officially discriminating against women. Have the USA ever said a word against Saudi Arabia's policies on women? Have other countries ever said a word against Iran's policies against women?
Have Western democracies ever said a word against Brazil's laws an policies against women?
No.
Has the WHO ever declared DV a pandemic? No. Not that I know.
The WHO is too busy making sure that mothers (that is, women) are harassed and tortured at the so called "Baby-Friendly" hospitals and forced to breastfeed, even against their will, no matter how exhausted they are, no matter nothing else, because mothers must die for their children if necessary, right?
No, the WHO s'en fout of DV.
No State is likely to acknowlege DV as a pandemic, although no doubt it proves to be a pandemic, too, during this COVID-19 crisis.
The truth is that domestic violence has been a longtime pandemic that no one want to see, no one wants to be seen, and least of all to fight.
I tell you this: in spite of the DV's rise, we face an opportunity now. An opportunity to make domestic abusers pay the price of their abuses. Of putting women's safety first.
But it will take guts to break up with the "politically correct" dictatorship.
The COVID-19 jeopardises many people's jobs, right? Besides, health services are overwhelmed, because there are many sick people and few care givers.
So let's make domestic abusers pay the price. Let's force them out of quarantine and make these guys work in health services' front line.
They will drive ambulances, clean up health facilities, perform whatever task they can.
Think about it.
