Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Current Methodology: Data is collected through online news reports, government reports, court
cases and other websites
Abstract
COVID-19 is posing challenges larger challenges in terms of human rights including health
rights of women and children. Since the mandatory lockdown has been imposed, violence
against women is exponentially rising world over. Several countries have enacted special
policies, laws and programs to deal with violence against women in homes.
However, India which since the 90s has witnessed widening inequalities since the policy of
Liberalization, Globalization and Privatization has been introduced, right now is again facing the
disastrous impact due to coronavirus. The pandemic is making adverse gender impact in two
ways – 1) Middle- or upper-class women facing abuse in homes during the lockdown and 2)
Poor women who have no homes or are surviving in slums or those on the roads walking back
home or those awaiting in villages for migrant men to come back.
The National Commission for Women has reported a rise of 94 percent in complaint cases where
women have been abused in their homes during lockdown. Also, another aspect that has not
received attention is increasing number of cases where migrant women, along with men, are
walking hundreds of miles, some in their advanced stage of pregnancy along with their children,
without food. Some are being forced to deliver babies on the roadside while others are receiving
devastating news of migrant men being dead while walking on roads. Deprivation and denial of
health and other services to women and children during the COVID crisis is aggravating the
disaster.
Therefore, almost half a billion women are at risk in India due to the pandemic. Yet, the state has
not made any comprehensive COVID response plan to tackle these challenges. Neither any
formal statement is being issued to declare domestic violence as an essential service nor plans
have been made to support pregnant women workers walking hundreds of miles without food
and water with their children. Rather, the state after 40 days of lockdown, while easing down the
restrictions, opened the liquor shops as a first step. In doing so, earning revenue is prioritized
over genuine serious concerns of women. This is despite of the fact that the women’s movement
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The Economic Times (2020) India witnessed steep rise in crime against women amidst
lockdown, 587 complaints received: NCW, April 17,
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with rush at liquor shops, May 5, https://indianexpress.com/article/india/from-doorstep-delivery-
to-covid-19-cess-how-states-are-dealing-with-rush-at-liquor-shops-6395025/
Tripathi Ashish (2020) Coronavirus Lockdown 3.0: Supreme court refuses to pass any order on
travel of migrant workers, Deccan herald, May 5,
https://www.deccanherald.com/national/coronavirus-lockdown-30-supreme-court-refuses-to-
pass-any-order-on-travel-of-migrant-workers-833799.html
Tyagi Tanmayee (2020) Child helpline receives double the usual number of call amid lockdown,
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UNFPA (2020) Millions more cases of violence, child marriage, female genital mutilation
unintended pregnancy expected due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, April 28
https://www.unfpa.org/news/millions-more-cases-violence-child-marriage-female-genital-
mutilation-unintended-pregnancies
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April 6, https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/04/1061052