The Influence of covid-19 lockdown on cases of gender based violence among girls and women in urban households

Abstract

Gender Based Violence refers to harm that happen to a person or group of people because of their gender. It takes the forms of physical, emotional or sexual violence among women and girls. Evidence from all over the world reveal that COVID-19 pandemic intensified GBV and right from its start people suffered from a wide range of GBV and this was due to increased tensions, anxiety, stress, economic pressure, social isolation, alcohol and substance abuse among people during the lockdown. Despite this evidence, a few studies in Uganda have focused on understanding the influence that COVID-19 lockdown had on GBV among girls and women. This study therefore concentrated on understanding the influence of COVID-19 lockdown on cases of GBV among girls and women. The specific objectives of the study were, to find out how COVID-19 lockdown was a risk factor to GBV among women and girls, to understand the other risk factors that supported the occurrence of GBV during lockdown and finding out the strategies that were adopted to address GBV during lockdown in Bweyogerere. The study was entirely qualitative and it adopted an exploratory case study design to create a general mental picture of the role that COVID-19 lockdown played in increasing cases of GBV among urban households. The study adopted a non-probability purposive sampling technique to select all participants in the study and then sample size determination was based on the method of theoretical saturation in which the researcher chose participants until no new information could be obtained. Study findings revealed that COVID-19 lockdown was a key risk factor to GBV among women and girls in Bweyogerere that resulted into closure of transport means, reduced family incomes, online studies and its challenges to the girl child, increased militarization of the movement and emergency of curfew hours and its effects to girls and women. COVID-19 lockdown was further supported by already existing risk factors embedded within the community like patriarchal nature of the society and lack of public health infrastructures. The study also revealed that people in Bweyogerere came-up with strategies to address GBV including adoption of counseling to couples and parents, community resource mobilization and sensitization. Therefore, efforts from the government, community leaders and GBV survivors are necessary to address GBV in Bweyogerere.