Measuring the Shadow Pandemic: Violence Against Women During COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the day-to-day lives of women in Kyrgyzstan: they feel less safe, are more socially isolated, and have seen negative impacts on their mental and emotional well-being. Congruently, the downstream impacts of COVID-19 vary in type and severity based on pre-existing factors, including socioeconomic status and vulnerability to other stressors. This research delves into the relationship between measures of violence against women (VAW) and the demographic, behavioural, and socioeconomic factors related to them. 

This study found that women’s baseline feelings of safety in Kyrgyzstan, whether it was inside or outside of their households, was directly related to their mental and emotional well-being. There were a number of stressors associated with these feelings; however, social isolation, food insecurity and loss of income stood out as having a significant impact not only on experiences of safety (or violence) but also on women’s well-being overall.