Since the outbreak of COVID-19, emerging data and reports from those on the front lines, have shown that all types of violence against women and girls, particularly domestic violence, has intensified.This is the Shadow Pandemic growing amidst the COVID-19 crisis. As COVID-19 cases continue to strain health services, essential services, such as domestic violence shelters and helplines, have reached capacity. More needs to be done to prioritize addressing violence against women in COVID-19 response and recovery efforts.

Violence Against Women: The Shadow Pandemic 

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, emerging data and reports from those on the front lines, have shown that all types of violence against women and girls, particularly domestic violence, has intensified. This is the Shadow Pandemic growing amidst the COVID-19 crisis.

As COVID-19 cases continue to strain health services, essential services, such as domestic violence shelters and helplines, have reached capacity. More needs to be done to prioritize addressing violence against women in COVID-19 response and recovery efforts.

On 25 November 2021, Advocates For Dignity (AFD) is partnering with Arise Foundation to host an online webinar – ‘Violence Against Women: The Shadow Pandemic’. The webinar will be moderated by Dr Maria Bhatti, Lecturer at Western Sydney University’s School of Law, and will include a panel discussion followed by a Q&A segment.

Our panelists are:

• Amani Haydar – Author of ‘The Mother Wound’: Amani is an award-winning artist, lawyer, author and advocate for women’s health and safety based in Western Sydney. In 2020 Amani was a Finalist for the NSW Premier’s Woman of the Year Award. In 2021, Amani published her book ‘The Mother Wound’ after she lost her mother in a brutal act of domestic violence perpetrated by her father.

• Renata Field – Policy, Advocacy and Research Manage at Domestic Violence NSW: Renata has worked in a range of roles including at Women’s Safety NSW, Delvena Women’s Refuge and the Education Centre against Violence. Renata is committed to advocating for the needs of women and children experiencing domestic and family violence and improving the service delivery offered to women in need through high quality, well-funded, specialist services.

• Balawyn Jones – Academic at La Trobe University Law School: Balaywn’s research focuses on domestic violence and women’s agency, focusing on the intersection between gender, religion and law. Her doctoral thesis examines State and non-State responses to domestic violence. She also currently teaches Criminal Law at Melbourne Law School and acts as a consultant for Muslim Women Australia.