UN Women, the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women, launched the Shadow Pandemic public awareness campaign, focusing on the global increase in domestic violence amid the COVID-19 health crisis.
The Shadow Pandemic public service announcement is a sixty-second film narrated by Academy Award-winning actor Kate Winslet, who has championed many humanitarian causes. The video highlights the alarming upsurge in domestic violence during COVID-19 and delivers a vital message urging people to act to support women if they know or suspect someone is experiencing violence.
While some countries are beginning to reopen, billions of people are estimated to still be sheltering at home. When households are placed under the increased strains that come from security, health and money worries, and cramped and confined living conditions, levels of domestic violence spike. Government authorities, women’s rights activists and civil society partners across the world are reporting significantly increased calls for help to domestic violence helplines and heightened demand for emergency shelter.
The Shadow Pandemic film begins with seemingly innocuous and familiar domestic scenes in 14 different homes around the world. When coupled with an evocative music track and voiceover, it soon reveals a starkly different picture. It concludes with three clear calls to action for individuals to help address the pandemic of violence against women. In addition to the PSA, the campaign includes social media assets giving key advice from shelters, helplines, domestic violence organizations and police departments across the UN’s Member States.
Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women said: “Even before the pandemic, violence against women was one of the most widespread violations of human rights. Since lockdown restrictions, domestic violence has multiplied, spreading across the world in a shadow pandemic. This is a critical time for action, from prioritizing essential services like shelter and support for women survivors, to providing the economic support and stimulus packages needed for broader recovery. Through this campaign UN Women’s activists, and advocates like Kate Winslet, will help spread the word so this issue comes fully to light.”
Emergency calls for domestic violence cases in Argentina have increased by 25 percent since the lockdown began. Helplines in Singapore and Cyprus have registered an increase in calls of more than 30 percent. In the USA, the National Domestic Violence Hotline reported a rising number of victims who reached out via text or phone. Evidence shows that, even before the pandemic, 1 in 3 women has experienced physical and/or sexual violence from an intimate partner in their lifetime.
This is a critical time for women and girls, and urgent action is needed. UN Women hopes that this campaign will make a lifesaving difference to women and girls across the world, during this crisis of historic proportions and for the long-term.
Original source: UN Women
Published on 27 May 2020
