Published on April 2021 | Public health, women health, mental health, social and community health

What Impact Have SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 Pandemic on Domestic Violence against Women in India from the Beginning of Lockdown Due to COVID-19 Pandemic? How COVID-19 Pandemic Induced Lockdown Influence Mental Health of Women?

Abstract The protection of women is of utmost importance and prime concern in India due to a huge population, equity issues, gender issues, lack of positive deviance at community level, illiteracy, socio-economic factors, migration from rural to urban areas, inaccessibility to legal help and of course many more factors. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic had presented a challenge even for developed nations around the world regarding women’s protection in the ongoing pandemic era & especially in the lockdown period when it’s really difficult to go out and shout for help. Estimates published by WHO indicate that globally about 1 in 3 (30%) of women worldwide have been subjected to either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime. Lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic and its social and economic impacts have increased the exposure of women to abusive partners and known risk factors, while limiting their access to services. Situations of humanitarian crises and displacement may exacerbate existing violence, such as by intimate partners, as well as non-partner sexual violence, and may also lead to new forms of violence against women. Objectives: The main aim of this research is to find out Impact of SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 Pandemic on domestic violence against women in India across different states and union territories from the beginning of lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic. Data from March 2020 till 20th September 2020 is available so the study will give detail for this period. Settings & Design: The month-wise and state-wise data indicating number of complaints registered with National Commission for Women in India(NCW) under two different categories in two different table 1 & 2 will be discussed and displayed. The period of study is from March 2020 to 20th september2020. Materials & Methodology: The press information bureau , Government of India Ministry of Women and child development have publicly announced under the heading- Increase in domestic violence against women dated 22 Sep 2020. The data obtained is analysed by using Microsoft Office software. Result: Increase in domestic violence against women in India from March 2020 till 20th September 2020. See Figure 1:- comparison of number of cases of domestic violence to know the impact of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and lockdown situations in India.Conclusion: India should have various strategies to ensure safety of women and their mental health issues in such pandemic like situations. It seems that present laws and regulations are insufficient to give the desired results. The barriers of legal and protective system and delivery of helpful services etc. constraints should be rectified added with a proper dynamic plan to carry on usual women protection services even in pandemics and natural disasters. India needs to develop an exclusive plan to tackle such situations such as establishment of separate cadre of worker for women protection services. India is having a very huge population of women’s vulnerable to different kinds of violence so the Government must give top priority in making India a safe place for women’s. The domestic violence have a serious impact on mental health of women’s and their children especially in pandemic and lockdown situations in which its quite difficult to get help and relief. Keywords: SARS-CoV-2, pandemic, violence, women, lockdown, domestic abuse