A Comparative View of Violence Against Women In Light of a Global Pandemic

In light of a global pandemic, there is an overwhelming amount of statistics pointing to a decrease in violence and homicide due to government order shelter-in-place mandates. However, there is a serious domestic risk involved with the actions taken to mitigate the risk of Covid-19; while violence in terms of robberies and homicides has decreased, domestic violence has increased substantially. Feminist International Relations Theories seek to examine the gaps created by Realist and Liberal International Theory, crafted and presented by men, and in a time of global panic, the same theories can help governments and NGOs understand how domestic violence and violence against women, is perpetuated in conjunction to global stressors. Considering feminist theory can be an additional tool used to provide resources to families facing domestic violence. 

The significance and importance of Feminist IR theory is not in its ability to rearticulate IR ideas, but rather to reach places to understanding where previous theorists have not considered. Understanding that the social world has inherently been classified due to gender, is a crucial component and one that is necessary to understand when considering the increase in domestic violence during this time. Additionally, there is power in viewing the international world through a feminist lens, as it is historically rooted in activism and legitimate change. It is important to consider feminism as an action, as opposed to a reactive academic field. Within the paper, “Feminist Methodology in International Relations An Ongoing Story”, Jaramillo defined general goals of feminist IR theory, specifying that “what feminist IR seeks is not to be something to study, but a way to study the world.” 

While the world has responded at different rates, there is a clear understanding that shelter-in-place orders, as well as social distancing, is a necessary tool states must leverage to combat the virus. However, with this comes a multitude of risks that can result from prolonged periods of isolation. A decline in mental health amongst adults is one of the most pressing, but the issue of domestic violence in a time of isolation is not given nearly as much attention. While media outlets are desperately covering the importance of face masks and the price of oil in the downturn of the current economy, women and the issues pertaining to women are quietly being swept aside as a less pertinent issue. Not that face masks and oil costs are irrelevant, they are highly influential to the physical and economic safety global citizens are being presented with, but it is impossible to fully capture the risks of this global pandemic without a comprehensive survey at how this situation is affecting people based on gender and nationality. This can better be stated as the “...importance of feminist methodology within IR. In the understanding that gender is present in every portion of life and that we can’t escape it and finally demystifying the naturalness of a gendered world”. Something that must be taken into account, is the relationship between feminism, gun violence, and domestic violence. In her 2020 book, Hood Feminism, Mikki Kendall points to the relationship between gun violence and feminism as 

“What does feminism have to do with guns? After all, guns aren’t a feminist issue, right? Except they are. They just might not be a feminist issue for your life. Not right now, anyway. But many women, especially those from lower-income communities face gun violence every day. The presence of a gun in a domestic violence situation makes it five times more likely that a woman will be killed”. 

And while this risk exists clearly evident, the sale and production of guns and firearms are still considered essential, putting women and families at a heightened risk. “Reports of increasing gun and ammunition sales in the U.S. during the crisis are particularly concerning given the clear link between firearm access and fatal domestic violence incidents”. Thirty states within the United States have allowed for the continued sale of firearms. This classification has been met with strong opposition from the international human rights group Amnesty International. Additionally, international voices including the UN are urging for a global ceasefire, in order to redirect resources to combating Covid-19 that previously would have gone to war efforts, which implies that the U.S public opinion surrounding firearms strongly differs from the international opinion.

Furthermore, to understand the relationship between shelter-in-place orders and domestic violence, the sale and consumption of alcohol must also be considered, as “... in most countries in Europe and the Americas, alcoholic beverages have remained freely available during the lockdown, even if sales hours were often restricted. In several countries, sales of alcohol have spiked since the imposition of the lockdown.”. Campbell points to a relationship between alcohol abuse and family violence within “An Increasing Risk of Family Violence during the Covid-19 Pandemic: Strengthening Community Collaborations to Save Lives”. The pattern of increased firearm and alcohol sales all point to added stressors and potential enablers of domestic violence, a risk that absolutely needs to be evaluated as countries move forward. And while the United States is lacking in its reach of protective measures aimed towards women and families, there is a variety of work being done on a global scale. 

“Governments, civil-society actors, and international organizations such as UNICEF and the World Health Organization have promoted strategies aimed at mitigating the effects of the lockdown on couples and children, though there are still massive gaps in these provisions, and the risk of domestic violence will probably grow as the strains of the crisis accrue”, 

it is pivotal that these gaps are filled.

The global consensus of a lockdown has included the closure of business as well as bans regarding immigration and travel. The United States’ specifically has changed its stance on immigration to be that of a rather harsh isolationist policy. Initially, policies regarding a decrease in immigration which originally centered around countries where Covid-19 was initially found. However, as the effect of the virus has continued to grow, many countries have implemented intense travel restrictions that have been translated into immigration blockages.While protective measures absolutely need to be taken to slow the spread of the virus, it is important to consider the ways that these measures are being used to harm more individuals, especially those in especially vulnerable categories. As noted in an article by The Intercept, which has been classified as a source with a strong left inclination by allsides.com, the coronavirus crisis “...has been used to further restrict immigration, violate labor rights, protect defense contractors, and double down on inflammatory and dangerous political rhetoric”. As many individuals and families wait near the U.S. Mexico border, the virus has the potential to fester in these communities filled with those seeking asylum, refuge, or a general safety that the United States can offer. By denying universal entry into the country, violence and disease are very likely to continue to put at risk people into harm’s way. 

The Covid-19 pandemic has revealed the turbulent and ineffective relationship between Mexico and the United States which has allowed interest groups and corporations to benefit from the crisis. Without clear operating procedures and government issues closures, many manufacturing businesses remain operational, putting hundreds of workers at risk. A BBC article sheds light on this fact as it notes, "The factories have flagrantly disobeyed the emergency public health decree because of the absence of authority from the president and the federal government." (Grant, 2020). Interest groups within the United States are urging the Mexican government to reclassify “essential services” so that factories may begin production again, which directly can put workers across the country at heightened risk. And while at face value this appears to be an issue best addressed with IR theory in the realm of economic structuralism, it is intrinsically more complex than an argument regarding the economy. Especially at this moment in time where there is no excuse to exclude the female perspective, it is crucial to consider how the continued risk of manufacturing jobs affects women and children globally. The importance of feminist IR theory is crucial here as security, economics, and politics can be better understood “through the lenses of feminist methodology, the main focus is not the state, as it is in malestream schools, but the complexity of the construction of society, that renders it possible for state actors to act the way they do”. 

The ongoing debate of “essential work” needs to be viewed through a feminist lens, as historically,  “Women have less access to productive resources of any kind, fewer policies that protects them, less political options, and in general, fewer opportunities and rights of any kind. Feminist methodology in IR seeks to make visible these injustices, to fill the silences that exist in the academic and to project their result into the lives of hundreds of women”. Manufacturing work is mostly comprised of a male workforce, however, with the economy currently existing at such a detrimental and stagnant state, many women would consider entering the workforce in different sectors to aide household income. A rise of women in these workplaces is very likely to be followed by a rise of violence against women in these sectors. Moreover, the added stress of an inconsistent workplace environment can add to the likelihood of domestic violence situations. Governments and corporations must be aware of what policies to implement in order to protect their current and future essential workers. 

The purpose of this essay is not to direct blame, as blame amid the suffering of thousands is more unproductive and only contributes to harm done. However, it is necessary that governments and corporations, especially those with a global presence, evaluate their contribution to protecting women in a time of crisis. At this moment many countries are focusing on repairing their domestic economies, however, it is impossible to do so without considering the most vulnerable, and subsequently crucial, groups within said country. 

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