#COVID19: South Africa Reported 90,000 Violence Towards Women In The First Week Of Its Lockdown

In South Africa, authorities said there were nearly 90,000 reports of violence against women in the first week of a lockdown.

Since the start of the pandemic, the U.N. reports that Lebanon and Malaysia have seen the number of calls to help lines double, compared with the same month last year. In China, the number of calls has tripled, according to the U.N.

In Malaysia, the government launched, and then was quickly forced to retract, a controversial campaign advising women not to nag their husbands and to refrain from being “sarcastic” when asking for help with household chores.

In Australia, where the government has promised some $91 million to address the problem as part of its COVID-19 response plan — Google reports a 75% increase in online searches for help with domestic violence.

Meanwhile, in Turkey, activists say the killing of women has risen sharply since a stay-at-home order was issued on March 11.