The COVID-19 pandemic is exacerbating the risk of violence against women and girls. Movement restrictions including curfews, quarantines and reduced public transport confine people to a limited shared space which adds stress on relationships inside the home. This, combined with anxieties related to the health and economic consequences of COVID-19 are associated with increases in intimate partner violence against women and girls. Movement restrictions limit a survivor's ability to escape and seek support, which entrenches perpetrator impunity.

We must ensure all gender-based survivors can access services at all times, including during pandemics and emergencies.