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The COVID-19 Shadow Pandemic: Domestic Violence in the World of Work - A Call to Action for the Private Sector

The unprecedented increase in domestic violence since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic1 marks an urgent call for action for the private sector to leverage their existing resources and influence to keep women safe at home and safe at work. Employers have a ‘duty of care’ to their employees working remotely from home and are in a good position to support those who may be affected by domestic violence. Many employers recognize their role and have been doing their part prior to and during COVID-19, and the importance of creating a safe and supportive working environment for survivors of domestic violence. An important element of this, reflected in the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) framework, is the broader promotion of gender equality and women’s empowerment in the world of work. Across the world, one in three women experience physical or sexual violence during their lifetimes.2 In Europe, as many as 43 per cent of women have experienced psychological abuse, and 22 per cent of women have experienced physical or sexual abuse, from intimate partner.3 Domestic violence and abuse is often invisible, but may be experienced in the lives of your employees. If you wait for something to happen, you have waited too long. Being proactive and taking a role in prevention can make all the difference.