ADVERTISEMENTThis was the focus of this year’s 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, a United Nations event celebrated from Nov. 25 to Dec. 10 to seek an end to continuing violence targeting women and children and which has been described as a disease more “pervasive” than COVID. The UN said gender-based violence, which is a serious rights violation, is damaging acts directed at an individual because of his or her gender. She said over 70 percent of cases of gender-based violence was “exacerbated” by the COVID catastrophe. ADVERTISEMENT‘Ignored crisis’Oxfam Pilipinas, the Philippine chapter of international anti-poverty group Oxfam, said the pandemic worsened gender-based violence worldwide. Oxfam International said the government’s investment in the fight against gender-based violence was “dramatically inadequate.” Only 0.0002 percent of funds for COVID had been allotted to preventing gender violence.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer December 16, 2021 17:43 UTC