Already before the crisis, every third woman had at least once in her lifetime experienced physical or sexual violence. Every second femicide is committed by a person from the immediate vicinity. The rise of domestic violence, which was already noticeable during the first wave and the shift of sexual harassment and violence to the workplace at home, render the need for action even more urgent.

The own four walls are more dangerous than ever

Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women, calls the strong increase of domestic violence in the context of the COVID-19 crisis a “shadow pandemic”. In order to counteract this rise within the EU, all Member States have kept their national domestic abuse helplines open and most EU countries have initiated awareness campaigns. Apart from that, some Member States have taken additional measures and initiated action plans (Ireland, Spain, Lithuania). Estonia, Latvia, Slovakia and France declared shelters and hotlines “essential services” and assumed - in their capacity as government - responsibility for making alternative accommodation available for abused women. During the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the Commission once again called on all Member States to expand their measures to protect women. In addition, the Vice President of the Commission, Josep Borrell, asked  all Member States to ratify the Istanbul Convention and referred to the Action Plan, published this week, based on with the EU will support more gender equality and across its external borders.

New ILO Convention shall improve protection against online harassment

In comparison to men, one of the consequences of the COVID-19 crisis is that women have been particularly badly affected by unemployment and poorer working conditions. Women, who work frontline in the retail and care sector, are more than ever affected by harassment. However, a big proportion of harassment in the workplace has shifted to the flats and houses of female workers: According to the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), the increase of telework has led to an increase of harassment and mobbing on the basis of technologies. To take action against this threat, trade unions worldwide are calling for the ratification of the new ILO Convention, which also includes the informal sector and among other also targets the prevention and combating of violence in form of online mobbing and harassment. The AK too demands the speedy ratification of the ILO Convention on Eliminating Violence and Harassment in the World of Work. So far, only Uruguay and Fiji have ratified the Convention. Hence, it is a matter of urgency to increase the pressure on governments to take an important step towards a world of work free from violence and harassment.

Further information:

AK EUROPA: Domestic violence during the COVID-19 crisis

A&W Blog: Die COVID-19 pandemic shows: Protection against violence concerns all of us

ETUC: Women working from home need extra protection against online harassment

ITUC: ITUC is calling on governments to commit to a world of work free from violence and harassment