#Voices4Change is a grassroots movement whose goal is to raise awareness of the risks of intimate partner violence during pregnancy, elevate the voices of survivors, and end intimate partner homicide. This movement has been initiated by Voices4Change, an organization with a mission to create an ecosystem in our society that has zero tolerance for Intimate Partner Violence.
Every Year, 10 Million People Experience Intimate Partner Violence.
In April 2020, as countries around the world enforced lockdowns to address the spread of the Covid-19 virus, UN Women and the World Health Organization coined the term "Shadow Pandemic",
to refer to the other global health crisis: intimate partner violence.
These organizations and thousands of others recognized gender-based violence as an epidemic long before we became aware of the Covid-19 pandemic. 1 in 3 women worldwide are victims of gender-based violence. Additionally, 50,000 women and girls are killed by intimate partners or family members each year. We have another global health crisis that
unfortunately has not been understood or adequately addressed by most people.
The Covid-19 pandemic has increased the dangers of gender-based violence. With victims isolated and forced into lockdowns with their abusers, domestic violence researchers and victim advocates worldwide sounded the alarm that this pandemic would inevitably lead to both increased rates and severity of gender-based violence and an increase in domestic violence homicides. Preliminary research suggests that these concerns have been validated. In this webinar, we will examine the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on gender-based violence and the ability of organizations and governments to effectively respond to this issue. With input from policy, service and research organizations from India, Europe and the United States, panelists will examine
what we’ve learned and how to use this information to address the pandemic of intimate partner violence.
