Domestic abuse cases peaked during lockdown across the world, however this alarming rate of gender-based violence has existed well before the COVID-19 pandemic, disproportionately affecting womxn and children in abusive relationships and households.
When 1 in 4 women in the US experience severe intimate partner physical violence and 95% of victims of coercive control in the UK are women, we can easily see that domestic violence is a product of systemic sexism, where female survivors are giving inadequate support when suffering from intimate partner abuse. This situation is then exacerbated when mothers go to court to accuse their partners of physical and/or sexual abuse of their children, and 57-68% of the time lose custody over their children (in the US) when accused of alienation by the abusive father.
This gaslighting of female domestic violence victims needs to stop, whether in institutions such as the criminal justice systems or in society as a whole. This begins by normalising discussion on sex/gender-based inequities and establishing a culture of accountability to shift the focus from reforming abusers to providing permanent safety nets for survivors.
