Publication

Examining gender-based domestic violence against women and the impact of COVID-19

Geoghegan, Bridget
Citation
Geoghegan, Bridget. (2022). Examining gender-based domestic violence against women and the impact of COVID-19. University of Galway Law Review, 1, 35-52.
Abstract
The term ‘shadow pandemic’, used to describe the increase of violence towards women, especially domestic violence during the COVID-19 pandemic (the pandemic), has entered the global vernacular in the past year. Yet, the pandemic did not cause domestic violence but rather served as a magnifying glass to expose the pre-existing systemic, and often overlooked, issue of domestic violence against women. This essay seeks to provide a deeper understanding of the nature of domestic violence and demonstrate how COVID-19, which blurred the lines between the public/private divide, exposed the prevalence of domestic violence in a way that cannot be ignored. Part one of this essay provides an examination of the nature of gender-based domestic violence against women, from its near acceptance within global society to explanatory factors, each through the lens of the public/private divide. Part two explores the delay to recognition of domestic violence as an international human rights violation, in addition to outlining key instruments that exist today at both an international and regional level. Finally, part three looks to the impact of COVID-19 on domestic violence, in particular within the United Kingdom (UK), to illustrate how the global pandemic has aggravated a pre-existing societal issue of domestic violence and exposed the fragility of the systems in place to protect women who are victims of such abuse.
Funder
Publisher
University of Galway
Publisher DOI
Rights
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International