Domestic Violence and Mental Health Issues Rises amid Lockdowns in Asia

As more countries are undergoing lockdown to reduce the spread of novel coronavirus, the risk of mental health issues and domestic violence has become a major dilemma.

This pandemic is assessing relationships in various communities in Asia.

In many Asian countries, the wrongdoers are using the virus as a reason for rising physical ill-treatment, emotional torment, and immense controlling behavior, which results in mental harassment, loneliness, and stress for their companions.

The present pandemic shows financial, mental and physical health unpredictability that could lead to a rise in domestic violence. 

One of the problems that some of the women are facing in many countries in Asia during the lockdown is the disparate distribution of domestic work.

Here are some of the countries which are looking into measures to help the critical situation of domestic violence in their countries amid lockdown:

• Indonesia’s National Commission on Violence Against Women has alerted that a number of women are confronting an increase in the threat of physical violence during the country lockdown and also requested the Women Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry to make sure even distribution of labor in families. Jakarta reports a tremendous rise in domestic violence during these work from home lockdown days.

• In India, Iti Rawat, the founder of Women Entrepreneurs for Transformation (WEFT), sent the message on her grid, proposing economic help to women at the time of covid-19 lockdown. In fact, she was awaiting business questions in reply to her message but in spite of that started getting emails and phone calls about domestic violence. She got 43 cases within a week. In Bangalore, NGO reports an unfortunate incident that happened recently when nobody was willing to keep a woman who confronted domestic violence because they wanted to be sure she was not infected by the covid-19.
• In Malaysia, domestic violence rises amid lockdown. Women’s rights groups are reporting a major increase in calls for domestic violence help as people are staying at home because of the novel coronavirus situation.
• In a town in Hubei, China, the number of domestic violence reports received by authorities had risen threefold compared to the same time period last year during the lockdown.
• During Japan’s lockdown, stay-at-home orders have brought nightlife, shops, and businesses to a halt in Tokyo. This situation raises financial strain among some class of society which is raising fears that current circumstances could lead to a rise in domestic violence in Japan.
• Domestic abuse increased in Myanmar at the time of lockdown, according to a women’s organisation.
• Even organizations in Thailand reported a rise in domestic violence during covid-19 lockdown.

Presently The National Commission for Women (NCW) started a WhatsApp number to report cases of domestic abuse.

In some countries, women’s rights, NGOs are finding it tough to help during the lockdown. They are not able to go beyond telephonic or web counseling. Still, the organisations are trying their best to help victims of violence.

In many countries, specialized support systems against domestic violence don’t exist. There the main healthcare workers are trying their best to contact women experiencing domestic violence amid covid-19 Outbreak. Civil society all over Asia is already hurrying to help women in situations of violence.

The United Nations chief António Guterres has requested for “peace at home” as he said a “horrifying global surge in domestic violence” against women, during the coronavirus pandemic.