UN Women’s: The Shadow Pandemic

Jan 11

In 2021 covid went into fulling swing, affecting the world.

At the time, there was and still is a darker pandemic that ran parallel yet gets nowhere near the same level of publicity

This parallel is a problem that has been around much long before covid 19.

Until the world pays more attention to this horrid violation of human rights, it will sadly be around long after

The 243 million had been affected by sexual and/or physical violence

the report highlighted the increase in domestic violence while the lockdowns were in place

un women also outline a few other reasons for this, and that we all have a part to play

if you want the up today UK's Statistic go here

One thing is for sure the statistics are not accurate

Here are some Fast Facts that are pulled straight from their website

Reporting of violence against women

Less than 40 per cent of the women who experience violence seek help of any sort. In the majority of countries with available data on this issue, among women who do seek help, most look to family and friends and very few look to formal institutions, such as police and health services. Less than 10 per cent of those seeking help appealed to the police.

Globally, even before the COVID-19 pandemic began, 1 in 3 women experienced physical or sexual violence mostly by an intimate partner
Emerging data shows an increase in calls to domestic violence helplines in many countries since the outbreak of COVID-19.
Sexual harassment and other forms of violence against women continue to occur on streets, in public spaces and online.
Survivors have limited information and awareness about available services and limited access to support services.
In some countries, resources and efforts have been diverted from violence against women response to immediate COVID-19 relief.

Globally, an estimated 736 million women—almost one in three—have been subjected to physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual violence, or both at least once in their life (30 per cent of women aged 15 and older). This figure does not include sexual harassment. The rates of depression, anxiety disorders, unplanned pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections and HIV are higher in women who have experienced violence compared to women who have not, as well as many other health problems that can last even after the violence has ended.

Most violence against women is perpetrated by current or former husbands or intimate partners.More than 640 million women aged 15 and older have been subjected to intimate partner violence (26 per cent of women aged 15 and older).

Of those who have been in a relationship, almost one in four adolescent girls aged 15 to 19 (24 per cent) have experienced physical and/or sexual violence from an intimate partner or husband. Sixteen per cent of young women aged 15 to 24 experienced this violence in the past 12 months.

In 2018, an estimated one in seven women had experienced physical and/or sexual violence from an intimate partner or husband in the past 12 months (13 per cent of women aged 15 to 49).These numbers do not reflect the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has increased risk factors for violence against women.

Globally, violence against women disproportionately affects low- and lower-middle-income countries and regions. Thirty-seven per cent of women aged 15 to 49 living in countries classified by the Sustainable Development Goals as “least developed” have been subject to physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence in their life. Twenty-two per cent of women living in “least developed countries” have been subjected to intimate partner violence in the past 12 months—substantially higher than the world average of 13 per cent.

137 women are killed by a member of their family every day. It is estimated that of the 87,000 women who were intentionally killed in 2017 globally, more than half (50,000) were killed by intimate partners or family members. More than a third (30,000) of the women intentionally killed in 2017 were killed by their current or former intimate partner. Women make up for 82 per cent of all victims of homicide perpetrated exclusively by an intimate partner.

If you wish to read more, click here to the UN Women's Website.