Research Brief: What Crime and Helpline Data Say About the Impact of COVID-19 on Reported Violence Against Women and Girls

Gender-based violence against women continues to be a significant public health concern and a human rights violation.While women and girls are subjected to violence in both the public and private spheres, the latest edition of the Global Study on Homicide, published by UNODC in 2019, showed that the home continues to be the most dangerous place for them. In a relatively short time span, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has already had a tremendous impact on societies and economies worldwide, affecting almost every aspect of daily life.

Since the onset of the pandemic, the idea that the lockdown measures introduced to restrict the spread of COVID-19 have increased gender-based and domestic violence against women and girls has become a common concern, including among United Nations agencies. Restricted mobility has indeed kept women at home, increasing their risk of victimization by intimate partners or family members.

The aim of this research brief is to provide evidence that improves understanding of the impact of COVID19 on violence against women and girls, by focusing on crime reported to authorities and incidents reported to helplines. The analysis covers data on violence against women and girls collected by UNODC during 2020 on victims of homicide by intimate partners, on victims of “femicide”, on sexual assault and rape reported to the authorities, and on calls made to helplines supporting victims of crime.