Coronapocalypse and rise of domestic violence
A lot of people just can't stand to be locked up in their houses all day for days and days on end. People have a natural instinct to go out and meet other people. Without this, they get bored, restless and aggressive.
Not that people are not grumpy when they are not confined to their homes, but the situation is worse when you are stuck with an abuser in the house, and there is nowhere to run.
Barely two weeks after International Women's Day, women's groups and shelters all over the world are now bracing for how movement restrictions due to the outbreak of Covid-19 will impact women and children.
Parts of China are already registering a tripling of domestic violence and child abuse reports since strict isolation orders have been issued. From Canada to Germany to right here in Malaysia, women's groups have ramped up their services to ensure that even if they had to work from home, their helplines remained available and insisted that government childcare lines continue to be accessible to all.
According to the World Health Organization, one out of every three women in the world experience physical or sexual violence. And yet, domestic abuse remains the most under-reported and brushed-aside form of human rights violation today.
Barely two weeks after International Women's Day, women's groups and shelters all over the world are now bracing for how movement restrictions due to the outbreak of Covid-19 will impact women and children.
Parts of China are already registering a tripling of domestic violence and child abuse reports since strict isolation orders have been issued. From Canada to Germany to right here in Malaysia, women's groups have ramped up their services to ensure that even if they had to work from home, their helplines remained available and insisted that government childcare lines continue to be accessible to all.
According to the World Health Organization, one out of every three women in the world experience physical or sexual violence. And yet, domestic abuse remains the most under-reported and brushed-aside form of human rights violation today.
Alarmingly, many victims do not know that they are experiencing domestic violence because they have been conditioned to accept that it is part and parcel of being a woman.
Marital rape, for example, is an extremely traumatising form of violence and yet, is taken for granted as the right of men over their wives. Disturbingly, calls to criminalise the act has met with deaf ears and marital rape remains legal in Malaysia.
Not all domestic violence is physical. Abuse can also take the form of verbal, mental, emotional and financial violence - and the impact of any of these forms can range anywhere from behavioural issues such as social paranoia and distrust, to life-threatening conditions with suicidal thoughts being a serious contender in many circumstances.
Which brings us back to the movement restriction order that we are now experiencing in Malaysia - and the edginess that comes with constraints. One of the worst scenarios imaginable is to be trapped indoors with one's abuser, without the option of leaving.
Marital rape, for example, is an extremely traumatising form of violence and yet, is taken for granted as the right of men over their wives. Disturbingly, calls to criminalise the act has met with deaf ears and marital rape remains legal in Malaysia.
Not all domestic violence is physical. Abuse can also take the form of verbal, mental, emotional and financial violence - and the impact of any of these forms can range anywhere from behavioural issues such as social paranoia and distrust, to life-threatening conditions with suicidal thoughts being a serious contender in many circumstances.
Which brings us back to the movement restriction order that we are now experiencing in Malaysia - and the edginess that comes with constraints. One of the worst scenarios imaginable is to be trapped indoors with one's abuser, without the option of leaving.
In many cases, victims are afraid to seek help for their injuries in hospitals in fear of catching Covid-19. In other cases, victims refrain from seeking refuge at their elderly parents' homes because they are afraid of spreading the virus to them.
The mass unemployment, which has been suddenly created, has also exacerbated the dangerous home situation for women as men vent their frustrations at home. In many scenarios, women are forced to take on the role of breadwinners, unfortunately at the cost of even further aggression by the damaged male ego. For many women, escaping domestic violence means becoming financially independent, which is made more difficult due to Covid-19.
Even in some of the most urban of settings, the frustration of not being able to concentrate on work from home is often handled disproportionately between men and women. Without childcare and without domestic help, working mothers are often expected to take on the responsibilities of maintaining a functioning household and keeping the children occupied - on top of her own responsibilities at work. While more and more families are sharing chores, women are still expected to be obedient, submissive and well, domestic - or else!
Coronavirus or not, domestic violence is unacceptable and as a community, we have a responsibility to look out for each other. Women who experience domestic violence need to know that they do not have to stay in an abusive relationship.
The mass unemployment, which has been suddenly created, has also exacerbated the dangerous home situation for women as men vent their frustrations at home. In many scenarios, women are forced to take on the role of breadwinners, unfortunately at the cost of even further aggression by the damaged male ego. For many women, escaping domestic violence means becoming financially independent, which is made more difficult due to Covid-19.
Even in some of the most urban of settings, the frustration of not being able to concentrate on work from home is often handled disproportionately between men and women. Without childcare and without domestic help, working mothers are often expected to take on the responsibilities of maintaining a functioning household and keeping the children occupied - on top of her own responsibilities at work. While more and more families are sharing chores, women are still expected to be obedient, submissive and well, domestic - or else!
Coronavirus or not, domestic violence is unacceptable and as a community, we have a responsibility to look out for each other. Women who experience domestic violence need to know that they do not have to stay in an abusive relationship.
As for the rest of us, we need to be the voice that speaks up when women are silenced.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact:
WAO Hotline: 03 7956 3488 (24 hours)
TINA: 018 988 8058 (24 hours)
TELENISA: 011 2370 1006
WCC: 011 3108 4001 / 016 448 0342
TENAGANITA: 012 335 0512 / 012 339 5350
Talian Kasih: 15999
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact:
WAO Hotline: 03 7956 3488 (24 hours)
TINA: 018 988 8058 (24 hours)
TELENISA: 011 2370 1006
WCC: 011 3108 4001 / 016 448 0342
TENAGANITA: 012 335 0512 / 012 339 5350
Talian Kasih: 15999
MAJIDAH HASHIM is a human rights defender. She can be reached via Twitter at @majidahhashim - Mkini
✍ Credit given to the original owner of this post : ☕ Malaysians Must Know the TRUTH
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