Government responses to gender-based violence during COVID-19
Gender-based violence (GBV) significantly and substantially threatens women's health. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing risks and patterns of GBV. The impact of COVID-19 on GBV is not inevitable, however, and can be mediated by the policies of governments. In this study we develope...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-08-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Global Women's Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgwh.2022.857345/full |
| _version_ | 1828181918188830720 |
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| author | Rebecca Gordon Nic Cheeseman Sarah Rockowitz Laura M. Stevens Heather D. Flowe |
| author_facet | Rebecca Gordon Nic Cheeseman Sarah Rockowitz Laura M. Stevens Heather D. Flowe |
| author_sort | Rebecca Gordon |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Gender-based violence (GBV) significantly and substantially threatens women's health. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing risks and patterns of GBV. The impact of COVID-19 on GBV is not inevitable, however, and can be mediated by the policies of governments. In this study we developed the Government GBV Response Index to systematically examine how countries (N = 60) performed in response to the pandemic with respect to the government 1) enacting specific national-level GBV policy; 2) making dedicated COVID-19 specific funding available; and 3) adapting existing GBV responses to COVID-19 related restrictions and challenges. Most countries (N = 33) delivered fewer than two policy responses. We also performed rapid case study analyses to investigate what might contribute to countries having more comprehensive government policy. We find that civil society organizations played a key role in facilitating GBV policy during the pandemic, especially if they are well-funded and well-connected to the government, and if the country has a high-level government official responsible for gender issues. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T06:08:33Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a2e36ee0290447a283f7f0a33e3b114f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2673-5059 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T06:08:33Z |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Global Women's Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-a2e36ee0290447a283f7f0a33e3b114f2022-12-22T03:44:47ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Global Women's Health2673-50592022-08-01310.3389/fgwh.2022.857345857345Government responses to gender-based violence during COVID-19Rebecca Gordon0Nic Cheeseman1Sarah Rockowitz2Laura M. Stevens3Heather D. Flowe4School of Education and Social Sciences, University of the West of Scotland, Glasgow, United KingdomInternational Development Department, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, United KingdomSchool of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, United KingdomSchool of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, United KingdomSchool of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, United KingdomGender-based violence (GBV) significantly and substantially threatens women's health. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing risks and patterns of GBV. The impact of COVID-19 on GBV is not inevitable, however, and can be mediated by the policies of governments. In this study we developed the Government GBV Response Index to systematically examine how countries (N = 60) performed in response to the pandemic with respect to the government 1) enacting specific national-level GBV policy; 2) making dedicated COVID-19 specific funding available; and 3) adapting existing GBV responses to COVID-19 related restrictions and challenges. Most countries (N = 33) delivered fewer than two policy responses. We also performed rapid case study analyses to investigate what might contribute to countries having more comprehensive government policy. We find that civil society organizations played a key role in facilitating GBV policy during the pandemic, especially if they are well-funded and well-connected to the government, and if the country has a high-level government official responsible for gender issues.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgwh.2022.857345/fullCOVID-19gender equalitygender-based violencepandemicpolicycivil society |
| spellingShingle | Rebecca Gordon Nic Cheeseman Sarah Rockowitz Laura M. Stevens Heather D. Flowe Government responses to gender-based violence during COVID-19 Frontiers in Global Women's Health COVID-19 gender equality gender-based violence pandemic policy civil society |
| title | Government responses to gender-based violence during COVID-19 |
| title_full | Government responses to gender-based violence during COVID-19 |
| title_fullStr | Government responses to gender-based violence during COVID-19 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Government responses to gender-based violence during COVID-19 |
| title_short | Government responses to gender-based violence during COVID-19 |
| title_sort | government responses to gender based violence during covid 19 |
| topic | COVID-19 gender equality gender-based violence pandemic policy civil society |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgwh.2022.857345/full |
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