Confinement amid domestic violence 2:56
Editor's Note:
Baroness Patricia Scotland QC, born in Dominica, is Secretary General of the British Commonwealth of Nations.
She is the first woman to hold the position.
Previously, she was Her Majesty's Attorney General in the United Kingdom (the first woman to be there) and served as a minister in the Gordon Brown governments.
The opinions expressed in this comment are solely those of the author.
See more opinion at CNNE.COM/opinion
(CNN) -
Scientists around the world are working 24 hours a day to supply a vaccine that could stop this devastating pandemic.
However, this deadly virus has once again highlighted how we also desperately need a cure for an entirely different disease, one that will sadly survive Covid-19.
For many terrified women, the fear of a silent virus may pass, but the constant screaming, beatings, and threats of violence will remain.
Forced coexistence and economic pressures have led to an increase in domestic violence at alarmingly high rates since the virus entered our lives.
Calls for help to domestic violence hotlines have increased by as much as 300% in some countries, while domestic homicide rates are higher than normal, a pattern that is repeated throughout the world.
I have heard the heartbreaking stories of so many victims over the years in my role as Secretary General of the British Commonwealth of Nations.
They are often asked, "Why didn't you go?"
While it may seem like they have the option to do so, the path to freedom is precarious.
In addition to physical, emotional and financial abuse, perpetrators often use coercive tactics to control behavior, isolating victims from family and friends, placing restrictions on basic needs, and threatening to harm them if there is any indication of a desire to leave. .
Victims often find it difficult to recognize abuse until they find themselves in dangerous situations.
Their ability to act continually erodes under this pressure, leaving them feeling like they have no choice but to stay.
Even in normal times, layers of the bureaucracy can also act as barriers to freedom.
Victims wonder: 'Will the police believe me?
How can I go to court?
Where will I sleep?
Will reporting abuse make my partner more dangerous?
Will I get custody of my children? "
The restrictions of confinement and physical distancing have further intensified these anxieties.
Therefore, it is important that our institutions and service providers create conditions that respond adequately and comprehensively to the different circumstances of all women before it is too late.
Innovations introduced during the pandemic, such as virtual courts, online protection orders, pop-up counseling centers and makeshift shelters, must be shared around the world.
And that is exactly what we plan to do: flatten the curve of violence in the countries of the community of nations.
In partnership with the NO MÁS Foundation, the community of nations secretariat has developed a digital portal, with easy-to-use tools and resources for governments, community organizations, and individuals from our 54 member countries to reduce cases of domestic and sexual violence.
Governments, particularly those with more limited resources, can download toolkits to establish local campaigns to address domestic and sexual violence, support victims and those at risk, and train community leaders on the ground.
The digital portal is specifically designed to help victims understand and recognize violence and provide comprehensive access to critical information, including local hotlines, shelters, safety plans, and legal guidance.
We have developed guidelines to help citizens speak up when they see violence in their circles of family and friends or local communities.
The portal will also feature best practice guides to prevent abuse, provide services, and protect survivors, including model laws on criminalizing coercive control in relationships so that a full history of abuse is investigated rather than as isolated incidents.
We recognize that abuse does not stop when women are removed from their abusive homes.
Victims need constant support to recover from trauma and rebuild their lives.
Your children also need counseling to change the attitudes and behaviors developed as a result of witnessing violence between parents.
Perpetrators must participate in special programs to help prevent them from reoffending in the future.
That is why we are accelerating our continued work on various fronts in the community of nations.
We are making a financial case to address violence against women by helping countries measure the economic cost if we do not act, a figure that in 2016 was estimated globally at about US $ 1.5 trillion.
This model encourages countries to allocate more resources to preventing violence rather than intervening once it begins.
It is a more profitable approach with immediate and long-term benefits both individually and socially.
Also, although many countries have laws specifically designed to protect women who are abused, they do not always meet international standards.
Working with partners, including UN Women, we are supporting countries to reform legislation and laws that unfairly discriminate on the basis of gender so that women have the same rights to leave abusive partners and seek justice.
Violence is never justified.
Domestic abuse is the betrayal of love and trust.
We are working with some member countries to ensure that all victims are protected against domestic violence in every way possible, including separation, restitution, compensation and even court-ordered alimony.
Our homes should be sanctuaries, not prisons.
We do not need the gift of seeing the future to be aware of what is happening in front of us right now.
It is time for all of us to stand up, say “No more” and work with determination and a sense of purpose to build safer homes and communities in a more just, equal and peaceful world.
Violence against women Domestic violence
