Deemed a 'shadow pandemic', it is reported that during lockdown, as some four billion people stayed safe in their homes, many found themselves in danger; a parallel pandemic of violence against women taking place behind closed doors. On 5 April 2020, António Guterres, UN Secretary General, urged Member States to
SI UN Representative in Paris, Marie-Christine Gries, blogs about the rise of Domestic Violence during the COVID-19 pandemic. "On 5 April 2020, Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary General, made a global appeal to UN Member States to recognise that "violence is not confined to battlefields", as he called for the protection
by Sarah Gallardo, Sarah Speaks Up My mind is wandering, feeling concern for those people who will be holed up with their abuser, forced to stay home by this global pandemic. COVID-19 is causing physical isolation from most of the world as we try to control its spread. During this
Gina Vucci, author, and women’s human rights activist, based in the U.S., takes a look at the escalating danger of domestic violence - a parallel pandemic taking place behind closed doors. As we received the notice to go on lockdown in the San Francisco Bay Area 16 March, 2020, I
At least 119 countries have passed laws on domestic violence, 125 have laws on sexual harassment and 52 have laws on marital rape. However, even when laws exist, this does not mean they are always compliant with international standards and recommendations, or implemented. UN Women On average, 24 people
In the run-up to CSW57 and International Women's Day on March 8, we will continue to focus on the issue of violence against women and girls. In this post, Lori Blair, Senior Director of Program Services at Soroptimist International of the Americas writes about the Soroptimist International of the Americas campaign to tackle domestic
Soroptimist International is calling on the Government of China to withdraw the death sentence for a woman who killed her husband after suffering months of torture and to take immediate action against the disturbing level of domestic violence in the country. Li Yan, due to be executed any day, is currently being
Bette Levy is a member of Soroptimist International of Manhattan and one of SI’s Representatives to the United Nations in New York. In this week’s blog, she talks about her work on domestic violence with the Working Group on Girls, and how lessons from Soroptimist projects around the world will
