Pandemics Squared: COVID-19 & the Shadow Pandemic of Violence Against Women

Join us and Every Woman Treaty on Thursday, May 12 at noon ET US (UTC -4) to participate in a discussion on COVID-19 and the shadow pandemic of violence against women.

Guests include:

● Catherine Sealys (Saint Lucia), President, Raise Your Voice Saint Lucia, Inc.

● Cllr. Margaret Nigba (Liberia), Founder and Executive Director, Her Voice Liberia

● Dr. Eleanor Nwadinobi (Nigeria), Every Woman Founding Steering Committee Co-Chair, president of the Medical Women's International Association

Following the outbreak of COVID-19, all forms of violence against women and girls intensified. One in two women report that they or a woman they know have experienced violence since the pandemic began.

As former UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka articulates: “Widespread stay-at-home orders to curb the spread of COVID-19 potentially locked women down with their abusers, creating dangerous conditions for violence against women, often with tragic consequences.”

This shadow pandemic of violence coincided in many countries with a reduction in survivor services, partly due to operational challenges and reduced funding for law enforcement agencies and local women’s organizations. This panel will contextualize the shadow pandemic, explaining what happened, why, and how we can respond to curb violence against women and girls.