New figures suggest domestic abuse is on the rise under quarantine
Date published: 09 April 2020
Avon has partnered with Refuge and gifted them £150,000 to help keep the charity’s frontline services and helpline open until lock down guidelines are lifted
People throughout the UK are living in unprecedented times as everyone has had to adapt to the new way of life under quarantine.
For the most part, this means working from home, spending time with family and finding new ways to procrastinate; but for domestic abuse victims this is a desperate situation that could be even more life-threatening than COVID-19.
Frontline services are seeing a significant increase in domestic abuse cases during the lockdown, resulting in a greater demand for their support.
The Avon Foundation For Women has announced a $1 million global commitment to frontline services to support women and children who are at increased risk of suffering domestic abuse while in self-isolation.
The global beauty company has partnered with Refuge and gifted them £150,000 to help keep the charity’s frontline services and helpline open until lock down guidelines are lifted.
As part of its global Isolated Not Alone programme, Avon is embedding emergency hotline numbers within lifestyle content across the world, so that women can access the support they need with reduced risk of exposure to abusers.
Domestic abuse is a silent epidemic exacerbated by isolation during the global COVID-19 crisis.
An unintended consequence of the isolation measures needed to combat Coronavirus is that vulnerable women and children are trapped at home with abusers, and unable to reach out for help.
One in three women worldwide are affected by domestic abuse and these figures are on the rise during the pandemic.
In the UK, the national domestic abuse helpline, run by Refuge, reported a 25% increase in calls to the helpline and traffic to its website has increased by 150%.
Research also shows that 38% of abuse victims are unsure where to seek help and six in 10 (60%) do not believe their claims will be taken seriously.
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