FEACT Brazil Collective Communication
With a number of countries adopting social isolation measures, approximately four billion people are now sheltering at home against the global contagion of the new coronavirus. This is a protective measure, but one that leads to another mortal danger. We are seeing a growing pandemic — violence against women.
One in every three women around the world has experienced violence. These numbers have grown as a result of the new coronavirus (Sars-CoV-2) pandemic, as noted in the report “The Shadow Pandemic — Violence Against Women and Girls and COVID-19”. The document was published in April by UN Women, a United Nations organization for gender equality and the empowerment of women.
In profoundly unequal countries such as Brazil, periods of quarantine reveal other realities — even more appalling violations of the rights of vulnerable populations to access land, territory, housing, work, basic sanitation, communication and food security. Gender violence is one more of these.
In this context, the organizations that make up the Ecumenical Forum ACT Brazil have drawn up a register of actions. The ecumenical diakonia for gender justice has warned faith-based organizations about the urgent need to consider actions that reduce the suffering of women, children, adolescents and the elderly forced to live with their aggressors on a daily basis. We would like to share some emergency and humanitarian activities to combat gender violence.
Happy navigating!