In the face of the shadow pandemic, we must ensure women are “safe from the start”

In humanitarian emergencies, women and girls embody strength, perseverance, and resilience.???

?When crisis strikes, women play diverse roles:?

·???????as first responders distributing food and medicine,?

·???????sharing critical information on resources,?

·???????finding innovative solutions to new challenges, and

·???????supporting their families and communities.?

But they are also disproportionately affected and face a heightened risk of violence and abuse — sexual violence as a weapon of war, exploitation and harassment as refugees, domestic violence, and child marriage in the upheaval of displacement.???

Gender-based violence has been described as a “shadow pandemic” occurring alongside COVID-19, as women have been forced to quarantine with their abusers. Cases of GBV have risen significantly, while at the same time, the ability of survivors to seek help, or the capacity of providers to respond effectively, is more limited than ever.

Experts have estimated that for every three months of shut down, we can expect an additional 15 million cases of gender-based violence. An increase of 13 million more child marriages are expected in the years immediately following the crisis.?Due to COVID-19 program closures, female genital cutting cases are anticipated to increase by two million more over the next decade.?

In addition to COVID-19, crises like those continuing to unfold in Afghanistan and Haiti are increasing the risks of GBV for women and girls. Displaced women have limited or no access to basic services, such as protection, health care, or education and are at much higher risk of experiencing violence.?

When women and girls are empowered to shape how their needs are addressed during crises, their rights are more likely to be protected. Women and girls must be part of designing the COVID-19 response and integral leaders in crises response everywhere. Only then can the world hope to achieve any semblance of equitable recovery.?

A simple way to bring this about is to?strengthen U.S. humanitarian response to GBV in emergencies worldwide and recognize the unique roles women and girls play in addressing and preventing GBV, especially during COVID-19.?That’s what the Safe from the Start Act offers. By adding your name to this petition, we can implore Congress to pass this vital legislation:?https://act.care.org/QXYsmhm ?

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