On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, on the 25^th of November 2020, the UNODC Research Center published the first results of a research aimed at investigating the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on violence against women and gender-related violence.

The evidence presented in the research brief refers to a limited number of States and is therefore provisional, so that only long-term monitoring will ascertain whether measures aimed at restricting the spread of COVID-19 have had an impact on the level of sexual and domestic violence at a global level. The data nevertheless highlights how in some States – such as Italy, Peru and Spain– a general decrease in the reporting of rapes and sexual assaults to the Authorities is accompanied by a significant increase in calls to helplines. There was no notable change in the number of gender-related killings of women and girls, which overall remains high.

To read the report, click here.