Thursdays in Black: “Pray for God’s protection for everyone”
16 April 2020
Thursdays in Black: “Pray for God’s protection for everyone”
From the World Council of Churches
Thursdays in Black ambassadors and supporters are calling on us all to protect women who, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, are in situations that make them vulnerable to violence.
In many countries, the rise of domestic abuse is being called “a new COVID-19 crisis” as movement restrictions aimed to stop the spread of the coronavirus is making violence in homes more frequent, more severe and more dangerous.
In Spain, the emergency number for domestic violence received 18 percent more calls in the first two weeks of lockdown than in the same period a month earlier. French police reported a nationwide spike of about 30 percent in domestic violence. Domestic violence reports in the UK are up by 20 percent. In the US, Rhode Island state police reported domestic violence calls had jumped by 36 percent.
Women also comprise 70 percent of frontline healthcare workforce across the globe, lacking protective gear despite their increased risk of exposure.
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