I recently uploaded a video on my what's App status. The theme of video was financial equality between men and women. While reacting to my status, a good friend of mine wrote something unexpected to me; that left me open mouthed in awe. Her exact vicious words were "People are dying with corona and you will die with hoax discordant feminism". This comment came from the one who is herself a victim of domestic violence.
This is exactly what most of the people might have thought while viewing that video status. The outbreak of COVID19 has emerged as a global public health crisis. The current wave of COVID has a different behaviour. Especially India is experiencing a devastating wave. Being responsible citizens we should cooperate with govt, follow the guidelines, fight the misinformation, discrimination and stigma attached to it.
Besides all this the point i am trying to make is "Who is going to talk about the Hidden pandemic" – the Domestic violence that is engulping thousands of lives every years across the country. The implementation of lockdown might have restricted the spreading of the virus but the lockdown gave rise to the other pandemic. Yes the negative impact of lockdown has been recorded as the domestic violence. The cases have increased manifold during the lockdown.
Cases of domestic violence have increased in many COVID affected countries such as Germany, Italy, Brazil, China, USA etc and ofcourse in India which I call the most dangerous places for women to live keeping in view the rising violence against women especially rapes, domestic violence and harrassment at work place. It is not easy to be a woman that too when you're living in India.
On 24 March 2020, the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi announced a nationwide lockdown. Within a fortnight, the National Commission for Women (NCW) reported a 100% rise in complaints of domestic violence cases. A nationwide special helpline was then launched by NCW where women could report domestic abuse.
While there was an evident spike in the number of domestic violence cases in India, NCW monthly data showed an overall decrease in complaints received during the initial months and overall increase in later months of the lockdown. Later the data revealed cases were always increasing but were not actively reported. The main cause was faulty and handicapped means of communication for women. The WhatsApp no. launched by the NCW had a limited reach as only 38% of women in India own mobile phones and fewer have an internet connection.
Women are expected to tolerate all the burden and frustrations. The frustrations of losing job, restricted movement, not getting alcohol, failed plans, fear of COVID infection and much more. All the frustrations are/were mostly squeezed out on women in the form of verbal abuse, emotional abuse and in worst cases, beating, sexual violence and even murder.
It brought nightmares and depressions to even think about this. Urgent actions are required to overcome these long-lasting social evils. The effect of domestic violence on psychological and mental health is more dangerous than Physical health effect. Besides fighting against pandemic lets together fight against Violence against Women in all forms. If we keep mum and endure, this is how violence increases. The response to my video status by my friend who herself was a victim of domestic violence should be an eye opener for all of us as it depicts how we have normalised the violence against women especially the domestic violence so much so that now even women feels okay with it.
Let’s give our best in attaining equality between men and women and eliminating all forms of discrimination against women (or any other gender).
In this second wave of COVID, let's not allow the horrible histories of domestic violence be repeated. Raise awareness as much as you can regarding women's rights and gender equality, the best source is use of social media. This is what I was doing while I shared a what's app post and the response, "People are dying with corona and you will die with hoax, discordant feminism" still haunts me. Mankind has already been dying. Let Every Gender be equally beautiful and let there be no discrimination on the bases of gender…
Author is Social Activist and a member of Youth for Human Rights International. She recently reached out to one hundred dropout girl students voluntarily and unassisted and stimulated them to rejoin schools in Ganderbal. She can be mailed at bhattahira19@gmail.com
