The Pandemic Exposed Faults in Our Strategy: Activists Need to Adjust If We Want to End Violence Against Women | Marina Pisklakova-Parker

What will it actually take to end the global epidemic of violence against women? Is it even possible? The frustrating answer, for human rights activists like myself, is yes: it is absolutely possible. There are concrete, proven, financially viable strategies that can lead us — all of us — to a safer, fairer world.

And yet we remain stuck, trapped in the gap between big words and small actions. What we say we value is not what we value. The pandemic further exposed this disconnect through an accelerated, universal crisis: the “shadow pandemic.” Domestic violence cases surged worldwide, helplines received record numbers of calls, and shelters struggled to accommodate those in need.

Even in the most progressive societies, where there are model legislative frameworks and systems of response — it wasn’t enough. Rates of violence against women still rose. What does this mean?

In my view, it means we as activists have to reassess what we’re doing, especially when it comes to two issues: how we communicate and what we’re asking for.

First, we need to shake off the statistical lens we’ve used to describe gender-based violence. The numbers aren’t scary anymore, if they ever were to begin with. By now, many are aware that 1 in 3 women is subjected to intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence. But the public and those in power are so used to frightening data — from climate change to the refugee crisis — that they are, mostly, desensitized and unmoved by it.

We need to talk about women, not percentages. We must localize the issue and tell true stories of real women: these are our sisters and friends, they live down the street, not in some abstract or faraway place. For too long, we’ve focused too narrowly on presenting statistics — we need to infuse the numbers with the reality they represent.

Decades of hard work led by feminists around the globe has led to a recognition that violence against women is a human rights violation. But now we need to make another breakthrough: deep understanding.

The majority of violence against women is perpetrated by intimate partners or family members. This makes it complicated. We are dealing with personal relationships, where there is not only violence, but also connection, care, love or loyalty.

Domestic violence is confusing — for those on the outside and those experiencing it — because of how it operates. After abuse, there is affection; promises are made, forgiveness is offered, hope is renewed and calm returns, for a time. Then the cycle repeats. What looks like reconciliation is really an integral part of the abuse. But family and friends tend to mistake domestic violence for ‘normal’ conflict. They often see separate episodes instead of systematic behavior.

This misunderstanding is a core failure of education and advocacy efforts. It also underscores the need to train professionals — physicians, law enforcement, counselors — to identify early signs of abuse and offer information and support as soon as possible. Of course, these efforts require resources and political will, which leads to the second, urgent issue activists need to reckon with: what should we be asking for?

In every country, there are activists holding the line. They are underfunded, overworked, intimidated and threatened — but they refuse to stop. They provide life-saving services and push for stronger, smarter laws and implementation. Their advocacy is necessary and critical, because we know that domestic violence legislation is correlated with lower intimate partner violence.

But progress at the country level is uneven and uncertain. It’s vulnerable to politics and culture. Instead, we need to unite around our best chance at lasting change for the greatest number of women: a new global treaty. In 2021 we still don’t have a strong international agreement that says violence against women is wrong, and it’s not allowed. When human rights lawyers bring cases of violence to national or international bodies, they often have to reference a mix of treaties or petition a range of committees because no one instrument is strong enough on its own.

We need a legally-binding, accountability-driven global treaty that enshrines the rights and protections governments claim to value. The Every Woman Treaty provides a pathway to the universal change we need. Informed by years of research, the campaign is pushing for the adoption of resourced, evidence-based solutions.

We know that treaties and laws work: they establish norms, reset priorities and unlock funding. And when nations are pressured to take proven steps to ensure women’s safety, rates of violence drop.

Every year around this time, world leaders condemn gender-based violence and affirm every woman’s right to safety. But we are tired of speeches. The simple fact is that the world is less safe for half of humanity. If we as activists adjust our strategy, and we as citizens refuse to accept small actions any longer, we can realize the world that all women and girls deserve.