Lockdowns around Latin America are helping slow the spread of COVID-19, but are having a darker and less-intended consequence: a spike in calls to helplines suggests a rise in domestic abuse, in a region where almost 20 million women and girls suffer sexual and physical violence each year.
A woman enters an office of Bolivia's Anti-Violence Task Force FELCV, after accusing her partner of domestic abuse, during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease , in La Paz, Bolivia April 22, 2020. Picture taken April 22, 2020. REUTERS/David Mercado
In some countries, like Mexico and Brazil, there has been a rise in formal reports of abuse, while in others, including Chile and Bolivia, there has been a drop in formal complaints. Prosecutors and UN Women said the latter was likely not due to a decline in violence, but because women were less able to seek help or report abuse through normal channels.
In Latin America, the fear is that violence against women that was already prevalent is being exacerbated further. The region has seen huge marches and strikes by women over the last year against male aggression and abuse. Formal reports of domestic violence, however, actually declined 40% in the first half of April in Chile, according to the national prosecutors’ office, which the UN and prosecutors said was down to women having their movements restricted.
“Since the lockdown, there’s been an increase in reports of domestic violence, many of those psychological violence,” said Blanca Aquino, director of the Municipal Institute for Women of Veracruz, the Mexican state with the country’s highest rate of femicides.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
RS Latin Music Picks: Week of April 26thRS Latin Music Picks: Fresh new sounds from Iberoamerica, featuring Cazzu, C. Tangana, Francisca Valenzuela and Fuerza Regida
Read more »
Calls to Poison Control Centers Around the Country Increase After Trump RemarksIncidents relating to cleaning products had already been on the rise amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Read more »
Bangladesh textile workers flout coronavirus lockdown to demand wagesHundreds of textile workers in Bangladesh's capital Dhaka took to the streets on Sunday demanding wages, flouting social distancing norms amid a nationwide lockdown to control the coronavirus pandemic.
Read more »
Bayer Profit Boosted by Coronavirus StockpilingBayer posted a rise in profit for the first quarter as customers of the German company’s farming and drugs businesses stocked up on products amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Read more »
Alex Rodriguez Gushes Over Quality Time With Jennifer LopezThe pair are focusing on the positive amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Read more »
Your Video Therapist Will See You NowSessions have gone virtual during the pandemic, and many have struggled to find a private space to talk
Read more »