Because of the coronavirus outbreak, Pakistan faced two-months nationwide lockdown. Lockdown exacerbates widespread stress across the society which led to many problems especially for women and girls because it aggravated domestic violence both physical and mental and brought more misery to their lives.
Pandemic stress and social isolation intensified gender-based violence because victims of domestic abuse were trapped with their abusers at home. Frustrated Domestic violence perpetrators spending the whole day at home worsened the situation for women and girls.
During the crisis, women take on additional physical, psychological and time burdens as caretakers. On the top of that imagine the stress and pain of women who got confined in a toxic violent situation for almost two months behind the closed doors especially in the small houses of one room where they even do not have chance to stay away from the abuser.
For those women who are sole earners for their families facing a high level of depression and anxiety because of unemployment or not getting salaries and wages. These women facing family pressure and domestic violence for not earning and getting money home.
In Pakistan, we can only guess that to what extent domestic violence is aggravated by the COVID 19 and lockdown. It is hard to measure because it is happening behind closed doors and it has a long history of under-reporting.
Financial constraints and stress deepen domestic abuse while no services were available in the whole country to support the victims. Only one helpline of the Ministry of Human Rights 1099 was available from 10 am to 10 pm to assist women.
In these difficult times, the government cannot focus on all issues, so we as a society have to come together to solve this kind of issues. We need to understand that this is a testing time for everyone, and frustration levels are high, but none of this can excuse causing harm to another person. Family, friends and neighbours should start supporting the victims of domestic violence. So, break the silence to end domestic violence and pledge today never to commit, excuse and remain silent about violence against women.