Shadow Pandemic Action Brief
The BKMC organized a virtual high-level and multi-stakeholder roundtable on November 26th, 2020, titled “Tackling the Shadow Pandemic – Violence Against Women During COVID-19 Times”. This report is the outcome of the mentioned event.
The BKMC organized a virtual high-level and multi-stakeholder roundtable on November 26th, 2020, titled “Tackling the Shadow Pandemic – Violence Against Women During COVID-19 Times”. This report is the outcome of the mentioned event.
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Key Statements and<br />
Recommendations:<br />
Governments Private Sector International Organizations Civil Society<br />
Trisha Shetty<br />
Trisha S<br />
ettyis a lawyer and full-time social activist, who founded SheSays, a non-profit organization and<br />
online platform that aims to end gender-based discrimination and advance women’s rights in India by<br />
engaging youth as agents of social change. She has dedicated herself to addressing gender-based violence<br />
and advocates for women and youth to have equal representation in leadership positions. Shetty addressed a<br />
variety of crucial issues, drawing from her experience on the ground:<br />
Cracks in a System:<br />
Our system presents cracks when dealing with survivors of VAWG. While survivors have spoken up about this<br />
issue, the system has actively ignored their voices or deliberately silenced them. As a result, women’s bodies<br />
have become politicized, preventing women from seeking justice for crimes perpetrated against them.<br />
Failed Leadership:<br />
Leadership continuously shies back from holding uncomfortable conversations. The fact that marital rape is<br />
legal in India and is not recognized as crime is a sign of the failure of leadership to call this out as a human<br />
rights violation. Leaders must speak up and actively condemn VAWG.<br />
Awareness for the <strong>Shadow</strong> <strong>Pandemic</strong>:<br />
COVID-19 has helped us acknowledge that VAWG is a global pandemic that is not restricted to developing or<br />
under-developed countries. The pandemic has made us realize that violence is a health issue and not only a<br />
women’s issue.<br />
Need-Driven Responses:<br />
From its early beginnings, SheSays pledged to be a need-driven and not solely cause-driven organization.<br />
Surveys and audits can help to point out the void and the gaps that need to be filled. Based on these findings<br />
SheSays started to provide financial, mental health, and legal support to women survivors of violence.<br />
Ending Victim-Blaming:<br />
Survivors are speaking up about the injustice they are facing. They challenge norms and go against cultural<br />
taboos by demanding justice. Blaming the victims is a reflection of a system that is not brave enough to listen<br />
to survivors and provide them with the help they need.<br />
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