Published: January 13, 2021
The Bottom Line
- Pandemics can exacerbate gender inequalities and impact the way women receive treatment and care
- Four types of factors increasing women’s vulnerability to violence during the pandemic: individual factors, interpersonal factors, community factors, and societal factors.
- Violence against women is a tragic and complex phenomenon, especially since this “shadow pandemic” is unfolding against the background of a health pandemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought its share of human tragedies. It has also exacerbated other types of pandemics, such as violence against women. Indeed, in 2018, the Secretary General of the United Nations declared that violence against women should be recognized as a “global pandemic.” This pandemic of violence continues against the backdrop of another pandemic.
The McMaster Optimal Aging Portal (mcmasteroptimalaging.org), a unique online health resource created by McMaster University to support the healthy aging of Canada’s older adult population, is highlighting ways to stay active and engaged while practicing physical distancing during the current COVID-19 pandemic.​ Read more.
