Shelters and hotlines operate even in emergencies

Quarantine has made the already vulnerable groups of the society even more vulnerable. Among them are those who have been subjected to domestic violence before the state of emergency was lifted and continue to face isolation from the perpetrators.

According to the UN, the number of domestic violence alarms in France increased by 30% last month, in Cyprus and Singapore by 30-33%, and in Argentina – by 25%. In the first two weeks of the quarantine, 10 women were killed in their families in Great Britain. In Italy, the number of calls by women on the hotline has decreased only because short (SMS) messages have increased. A secret SOS signal has been developed for victims of domestic violence in Spain: “Mask 19, which saves lives,” should be asked at pharmacies. Upon hearing this, the pharmacy employee registers the citizen’s address and name under the pretext of “delivering” in order to pass the data to the police.

The number of alarms from women victims in Russia has increased about 1.5 times. The situation is compounded by the fact that the shelters are closed, do not work or restricted in the conditions of the pandemic, women’s rights organizations and centers also have limited work. In Russia, as in many countries, attempts are being made to solve the problem remotely, as not all crisis homes where women hid from the aggressor operate.

In response to a question from WomenNet.am about the statistics of cases of domestic violence during Quarantine days, the RA Police replied that they would provide the expected information only within 30 days. At the same time, the officials of the department claim that the relevant police departments are working 24 hours a day, they are ready to help and reach every family.

We addressed the same question to Hasmik Ghorgyan, Program Manager of the Women’s Support Center, according to whom the number of alarms registered by their Center, in general, has not increased significantly. Thus, in January they had 42 alarms, in February 46 alarms, in March they had 86 calls, but 30 of them had social issues: how to register a system, whether they are beneficiaries or not, etc. Between April 1-17, there were 42 calls, 19 of which were related to social issues. But these figures, according to the specialist, cannot fully convey the reality.

“Based on years of experience, we understand that this is not the real picture. Most of our visitors women’s phone numbers are in the names of their husbands, the phones are monitored and the existing restrictions do not allow these women to contact us. The husband and children are at home all day, and if before the women were able to take the child to kindergarten, polyclinic and had other excuses to contact the center, today they are simply deprived of that opportunity. And staying in a closed area with an abuser increases the risk of violence. Let’s take into account the fact that at the moment everyone who goes abroad for work is at home. Again, our experience shows that the number of cases of violence increased in the months when men returned to Armenia during the off-season, mainly in winter. So, the real picture of domestic violence for this period will be seen only after quarantine, “Gevoorgyan said, noting that practice around the world shows that violence increases during disasters and crises, as stress is an additional factor for perpetrators.

In addition, difficult economic conditions are an additional risk factor. There are women who have left their abusive husbands, but today, losing their jobs and having no helpers, they are simply forced to return to them to save their children from starvation. How long did it take for those women to finally come out of the violence and overcome it? “We are really afraid that they will simply have no alternative, and that we do not have such a case yet, but I think there is a high probability that those predictions will come true.”

Hasmik Ghorgyan drew attention to a circumstance that refers to the work of hotlines. According to her, the level of awareness on social networks is relatively good, which is not to say about television, where very little or almost no information is provided about where a person subjected to violence can apply to.

She added that the Women’s Support Center is currently operating because it cannot be the other way around: both shelters in Armenia operate under this organization. During this time, two women were admitted to the shelter.

Our interlocutor reminded that the center provides advice to women by keeping it a secret, so in case of any issue related to domestic violence, the woman can call them at 09988780808 hotline.

To note, according to the Coalition to Stop Violence against Women, 184 hotline calls were received in March by women’s rights groups, while in February this number was one third less.

According to Lusine Sargsyan, the UN Population Fund’s gender program respondent, domestic violence, especially violence against women, has increased worldwide in recent months, and Armenia cannot be an exception. According to her, a number of non-governmental organizations have already presented open sources that there is an increase in such alarms in the republic, but everything is very relative here.

“Today, when free movement is restricted, the abused person is in the same place as the abuser. This, of course, makes it quite difficult to sound the alarm. We understand that today it is possible to alert through social networks or short messages, but we also understand that it is very dangerous and that is why in many cases it becomes impossible. And even if we say today that the number of alarms has increased by that percentage, it is obvious that the real percentage is higher, “she said.

The problem is that women used to alert while going to work, taking their children to kindergarten, or when the abuser is not at home, and now, under quarantine conditions, all these circumstances have disappeared. As for the international experience, where special coded expressions are used, we asked our interlocutor whether this practice can work in Armenia.

“At the moment, any move that will help secure the alarm can be very positive, so it’s a matter of raising awareness. Yes, many people just don’t know where to call to get support or to be informed about their rights. For example, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Office of the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia are releasing videos informing us about the hotlines of the Human Rights Defender. Please be informed that they work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We also supported the shelter by providing hygiene items so that they could receive the victims and not be afraid that the person could become infected with the coronavirus. We support the shelter so that if it receives a new alarm, it can receive it. So, today, any step and measure aimed at raising awareness is welcome and will have a positive impact, “she concluded.