MITIGATING GENDER BASED VIOLENCE RISKS AMIDST COVID-19 PANDEMIC

UN Women (April 2020)

Women and girls are more likely to experience distinct challenges and risks associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. UN Women estimates that 243 million women and girls aged 15–49 have been subjected to sexual and/or physical violence perpetrated by an intimate partner in the last 12 months. The number is likely to increase as security, health and money worries heighten tensions due to confined living conditions. As “Stay At Home” recommendations and lockdown orders expand to contain the spread of the virus, women with violent partners increasingly find themselves isolated from the people and resources that can help them. The cost implication of gender based violence against women is estimated at US$1.5 trillion globally.

ENFORCING POLICY COMPLIANCE IN DEVELOPING AFRICAN STATES

Are people rational actors or do the need coercion for compliance?

Mundane problems take a heavy toll that coerce compliance with new regulations that have been employed without full participation in the developing democratic states. Developing states include economies with lower per capita income categories with constrained policy processes. For these states, sudden policy announcements which tend to occur without consultations lead to public dissatisfaction, thus non compliance. In the view of the current global health pandemic, COVID-19, democracy and participation may not be prioritised as all states have limited personal human rights for sake of the common good.

THE RISE OF POLICE VIRAL VIOLENCE CASES

The High Court of Kenya at Nairobi on a Constitutional and Human rights petition, prohibited the National Police Service (among other ruling orders) from using unreasonable force in enforcing the curfew order. This followed the public outcry due to the rampant case of police brutality that had spread in the country. Civil Society actors led by the Kenya Human Rights Commision, Law Society of Kenya, Federation of Women Lawyers - Kenya and Independent Policing Authority (IPOA)

The police deployed 24,000 officers on the first day of the national lockdown. Photo: Ashraf Hendricks

In South Africa, a local daily reported that at least 3 people had been killed in the first 3 days of the lockdown as of 1st April 2020. Bloomberg also reported that Rwandan Police had killed two people by 25th March 2020.

UNDERSTANDING FLATTENING THE CURVE (SIMPLIFIED)

“Flatten the curve” is a rallying call for social distancing amid the global COVID-19 pandemic.

What curve? What does it mean? Why is flattening important?

In a nutshell, the curve refers to the number of patients infected with the novel coronavirus over time as seen in the chart above.

The ideal goal in fighting pandemic would be to completely halt the spread. For now, slowing down the spread— mitigation — is critical. This reduces the number of cases that are active at any given time, which in turn gives doctors, hospitals, police, schools and vaccine-manufacturers adequate time to prepare and respond, without becoming overwhelmed. Thus Flattening the curve simply refers to keeping the number of patients requiring health care low, so that our healthcare system is not overwhelmed.

KENYANS CONDEMN POLICE BRUTALITY AMIDST POLICY CURFEW DIRECTIVE ON COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Police Brutality at its worst in Kenya

Friday March 27 2020 marked the first day of Kenya's National Daily Curfew from 7 p.m to 5 a.m amidst the unprecedented global health crisis . In the Presidential address on the state interventions to cushion Kenyan's against economic effects of COVID-19 Pandemic, it was stated that the Daily curfew shall be in effect in the territory of the Republic of Kenya, with all movements by persons not authorised to do so or not being Medical Professionals, Health Workers, Critical and Essential Services Providers, being prohibited between those hours. This was a well-intended comprehensive and multi-faceted National response that sort to incorporate policy measures and behavioural protocols to further complement the global measures of flattening the curve of increased COVID19 patients and deaths. How was this implemented by Kenya's law enforcement officers at the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA)?

WHAT IS CORONA VIRUS, COVID-19?

What is a Coronavirus?

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses which may cause illness in animals or humans.  In humans, several coronaviruses are known to cause respiratory infections ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The most recently discovered coronavirus causes coronavirus disease COVID-19.

#StayAtHome Source: Zazzle.com

What is COVID-19?

COVID-19 is the infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus. This new virus and disease were unknown before the outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in December 2019.