POST-COVID-19 EXAMINATION OF THE EFFECTS OF LOCKDOWN MEASURES ON GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE
Keywords:
COVID-19, Effects, Gender-Based Violence, Lockdown Measures,, Post-COVID-19, Theoretical ReviewAbstract
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent implementation of the lockdown measures led to a myriad of unintended consequences that escalated the levels of Gender-Based Violence (GBV). Even though lockdown restrictions have since been lifted, fears persist concerning the possible long-term implications of the lockdown and risk factors of GBV in some communities. This paper examines the post-COVID-19 effects of lockdown measures on Gender-Based Violence, focusing on the factors sustaining GBV in the post-pandemic period and current institutional efforts to address it. The study adopted the Ecological Theory, which explains Gender-Based Violence as the outcome of interactions among individual, family, community, and societal factors. The study adopted a theoretical desk review approach and relied exclusively on secondary data published between 2022 and 2025, while a few pre-pandemic works were included to provide conceptual and theoretical foundations. The results of the review have shown that the COVID-19 lockdown measures resulted in increased cases of economic hardships, domestic and intimate partner violence as well as emotional abuse among families confined at home. The analysis showed that while the lockdown has come to an end, many of the socio-economic problems it caused like poverty, psychological stress, and gender inequality continue to maintain high levels of GBV. Despite the increased efforts of government and civil society organizations to help survivors, the issues of underreporting, lack of funding, poor enforcement of the laws and socio-cultural barriers still hamper the process of GBV prevention and response. The study concludes that the impact of COVID-19 lockdown measures on GBV does not stop with the pandemic, thus calling for a multi-sectoral intervention. In addition to the above, it recommends increasing the enforcement of laws related to GBV and enhancing survivor support services, which would include psychosocial services, legal assistance, and community reporting mechanisms. Lastly, governments need to integrate GBV prevention and response in their national emergency response and public health plans.
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