The shadow pandemic of domestic violence during COVID-19 | Kemi DaSilvaIbru

We all know about the pandemic that has come to define 2020.

Understandably, COVID-19 has dominated the world's agenda,

and mandatory lockdowns were introduced in many countries

to help control the spread of the virus.

For many of us, the lockdown was inconvenient.

We couldn't go to our normal places of business,

we couldn't visit family or friends,

and we couldn't socialize publicly.

But for some people, though,

the freedom to get out of the house

was not just a matter of convenience

but of physical safety and even life or death.

Based on my work, I see the great majority of those vulnerable people are women,

and this resonates with me,

especially today as I give my talk from the safety of my home.

As a practicing obstetrician and gynecologist,

I'm all too aware of the prevalence of gender-based violence

in communities across Nigeria.

And this is why I founded

the Women at Risk International Foundation, WARIF,

in 2016

in response to this.

Global estimates published by the WHO indicate

that one in three women worldwide have experienced an act of violence.

And this was before the lockdown.

In March, an increase in the number of cases of violence against women

was becoming apparent across the world,

amounting to a shadow pandemic that we are now faced with globally.

In France for example, there was a 30 percent increase

in the number of cases of domestic violence.

And in Argentina,

emergency calls from domestic violence cases

increased by 25 percent.

In the first two weeks of the lockdown in Lagos State,

our emergency phone lines rang nonstop,

and we recorded a 64 percent increase in calls

from women trapped at home with their abusers,

in fear for their lives.

By June, the authorities became aware of the shadow pandemic,

and a state of emergency on rape

was declared by the federal government of Nigeria.

As we fielded the distressing calls from girls and women, young and old,

we were able to help,

as thankfully, we kept the WARIF rape crisis center open

as a refuge of last resort.

In the more remote areas,

many women had to walk miles to receive any medical care and attention

as there was no transportation because of the lockdown.

They had no internet access to reach social media platforms,

and they had limited phone services

to call a 24-hour confidential helpline or even a neighbor.

So the situation for these women was much worse.

Our solution in addressing this was this:

There are over 3,000 traditional birth attendants

working in rural areas across Lagos State today.

These are community-based men and women

who have been informally trained

and provide basic health care to both women and expectant mothers.

But none of them had received any form of training

on how to help women suffering from domestic violence.

We successfully trained 1,300 of these community gatekeepers

as first responders

in addressing the cases of violence against women

in their communities.

This meant that during the lockdown,

they were galvanized to go house to house in their communities

and with their training,

were able to offer the necessary assistance

to women trapped at home, unable to receive care.

Reports varied from verbal and emotional abuse

to far worse beatings and sexual violence.

But those home visits

served as an opportunity for these women to share their stories

and to receive the much needed care and support

that the traditional birth attendants offered.

This program had been rolled out

across an additional seven local communities

and has reached nearly 35,000 people,

raising awareness of the shadow pandemic in these communities.

In the months to come,

we plan on including our other gatekeepers,

the law enforcement officials and the religious leaders,

truly impacting on communities

and on the safety and the lives of these women.

As we embrace the new normal of working remotely from home

and with online schooling,

it is more than likely

that more women will be trapped at home with their abusers

and this shadow pandemic will persist.

But I take hope and inspiration

from the courage and determination

of the many who work to protect and support these women.

I have been awed by the unbelievable strength and the tenacity

that these women have shown during these precarious times

and their ability to find their power in spite of all of this adversity.

So, with or without the pandemic,

the work to protect girls and women continues,

because every girl and woman,

no matter what part of the world she lives,

has the right to live in a society free of any form of violence against her.

Thank you.