This Article has been submitted by Yashi, a 4th Year student pursuing BBA LLB.
The global pandemic being talked about in this blog is "COVID-19" but when we talk about the social pandemic which was already in existence but is in boom due to the global pandemic.
The Mandatory stay-at-home rules, economic uncertainty, and anxiety caused by the pandemic have led to an increase in social events that could be termed a pandemic like "domestic violence" "Sexual abuse" "Child abuse" and the list goes on and on. The lockdown has brought a significant increase in crime against women and children. The spread of the virus has left the "Victim" and "abuser" to live together under the same roof forcefully and the "Victim" in a helpless situation where they can seek no help and the poor ones are in a more vulnerable situation. Over the world, nations including China, United States, United Kingdom, Brazil, Tunisia, France, Australia, and others have detailed instances of expanded aggressive behavior at home and personal accomplice brutality. India, infamous for sexual orientation based viciousness (and positioned the fourth most noticeably terrible nation for sex equity, as per open recognition), is demonstrating comparative patterns.
Domestic violence cases reported to NCW ( National Commission for Women ) more than just doubled in the last 25 days. The commission got 239 grievances of abusive behavior at home between March 23 and April 16, contrasted with 123 in the previous 25-day time frame. NCW launched an emergency number on Whatsapp for women to register emergency complaints. Within a week, the commission received 40 messages alleging forms of domestic violence. As per the report presented by UN women organization violence against women and girls (VAWG) is a human rights violation, a universal issue, with a great impact on victims/survivors, their families, and communities.
1. Almost 18 percent of women and girls aged 15 to 49 years who have ever been in a relationship have experienced physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner in the previous 12 months
2. The figure rises to 30 percent when considering violence by a partner experienced during women’s lifetime.
3. More than a third of women who are intentionally killed are killed by a current or former intimate partner.
Domestic violence has often been studied as an abusive expression triggered by financial stress, mental stress, fear, and of course, systemic patriarchy, that has furthered the cases of financial abuses, and at times, even murders. The national lockdown has reported a more than 50% rise in domestic violence. A report prepared by NALSA documents showed that a total of 144 cases of abuse were filed in Uttarakhand alone followed by increasing cases in Haryana and New Delhi.
The data clearly defines where we stand as a society when ensuring the safety and safeguarding the rights of our most vulnerable members. We as a society are in a desperate need of raising ourselves beyond the social dilemmas and circumstances that force the silence on our lips that has lead to the behemothisation of these tragedies happening everyday around us. Silence in the face of such atrocities not only ensures their prolonged continuance, but also fascilitates a sense of security in the minds of the perpetrators.
Calling out the differences will be the only positive step we could take towards a cohesive and progressive future.