Raising awareness of the increase in domestic violence amid the COVID-19 health crisis in Puntland, Somalia

A blog by Hawa Feminist Coalition

Gender-based violence (GBV) increases during every type of emergency — whether economic crises, conflict or disease outbreaks. Pre-existing toxic social norms and gender inequalities, as well as economic and social stress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have led to an increase of GBV, particularly in the camps where internally displaced persons (IDPs), some of them the most vulnerable people of our society, are housed.

The increase in gender-based violence since the outbreak of COVID-19 can be attributed directly to the lockdown and containment measures that forced people to stay indoors and resulted in women and girls being trapped at home with their abusers.

Hawa Feminist Coalition carried out a series of public awareness campaigns, focusing on the increase in domestic violence amid the COVID-19 health crisis. 3,000 posters were printed that delivered a vital message urging people to act to support women and girls experiencing domestic violence during the pandemic. These posters were placed in public places where they were highly visible and distributed through social media platforms.

The messaging was also distributed in the IDP camps of Bosaso and Garowe in Puntland Somalia as well as through associated the social media platforms reaching up to 20,000 online users.

Hawa Feminist Coalition mobilized its volunteers to deliver the awareness messages in IDP camps and also interacted with the women and girls there to encourage them to come forward and report the GBV cases to the police or designated hotline.

Hawa Feminist Coalition will keep fighting until these violations are stopped and young women and girls enjoy their rights in Somalia.