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The Syndemic of COVID-19 and Gender-Based Commentary BMJ Glob Health: first published as 10.1136/bmjgh-2020-004194 on 18 November 2020. Downloaded from The syndemic of COVID-19 and gender- based violence in humanitarian settings: leveraging lessons from Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo 1 1 1 2 Lindsay Stark , Melissa Meinhart, Luissa Vahedi, Simone E Carter , Elisabeth Roesch,3 Isabel Scott Moncrieff,3 Philomene Mwanze Palaku,4 Flore Rossi,4 Catherine Poulton3 To cite: Stark L, Meinhart M, As the gendered dimensions of COVID-19 Summary box Vahedi L, et al. The are increasingly recognised, efforts to situate syndemic of COVID-19 and gender- based violence gender- based violence (GBV) within the ► Efforts to situate gender- based violence (GBV) within in humanitarian settings: pandemic remain inadequate. It is critical to the COVID-19 pandemic remain inadequate. Based leveraging lessons from Ebola first acknowledge that the drivers and impacts on the knowledge that the public health crises of vi- in the Democratic Republic of COVID-19 and GBV do not occur in isola- olence and infectious disease are intersecting, we of Congo. BMJ Global Health tion; rather, they present as a syndemic—each use a syndemic perspective to examine their shared 2020;5:e004194. doi:10.1136/ influence in humanitarian settings. bmjgh-2020-004194 is made more destructive by the presence of the other.1 Thus, it is not the infection of ► When the humanitarian community exclusively pri- oritises the lives saved from infectious diseases, Handling editor Seye Abimbola COVID-19 that increases the risk of GBV but rather the gender- insensitive systems and such as Ebola and COVID-19, the lives impacted by interrelated factors, such as GBV, can be overlooked. Received 13 October 2020 policies that magnify the risk.2 ► This narrative leverages learnings from the 2018– Revised 18 October 2020 Based on the knowledge that the public Accepted 20 October 2020 2020 Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of health crises of violence and infectious the Congo (DRC) to inform and strengthen ongoing disease are intersecting, we use a syndemic responses related to GBV and COVID-19 within hu- perspective to examine their shared influence manitarian settings. in humanitarian settings. This brief leverages ► For both Ebola and COVID-19, response efforts have http://gh.bmj.com/ learnings from the 2018–2020 Ebola outbreak overlooked the life- saving nature of GBV services. in the Democratic Republic of the Congo These services, including one- stop crisis centres (DRC) to inform and strengthen ongoing and safe spaces, are vulnerable to cessation when responses related to GBV and COVID-19 health service providers attempt to prevent and con- within humanitarian settings. trol the spread of infectious disease without incorpo- rating a gender- sensitive lens. ► A critical opportunity to integrate women within on September 28, 2021 by guest. Protected copyright. © Author(s) (or their response planning is through local women’s or- employer(s)) 2020. Re- use EXISTING KNOWLEDGE OF GBV IN EMERGENCIES ganisations which are already embedded in local permitted under CC BY-NC. No GBV encompasses a variety of damaging communities. commercial re- use. See rights acts perpetrated against someone based on and permissions. Published by 3 BMJ. socially ascribed gender differences. Systemic 5 1Brown School at Washington inequalities and differences based on patriar- violence exceeds other forms of GBV. Given University in St Louis, St Louis, chal norms are the root of GBV perpetration that humanitarian crises are associated with Missouri, USA and its dire consequences for individuals and periods of extreme chronic stress, loss of 2 Public Health Emergencies, society at large. The hegemonic systems that health and social service infrastructure, and UNICEF, New York, New York, USA are rooted in gender most often manifest as a strained social support network, conse- 3UNICEF, New York, New York, violence perpetrated by men against women quences of all forms of GBV are aggravated, USA and girls; the adverse influence of these thereby increasing risks such as revictimisa- 4UNICEF, Kinshasa, Democratic systems increases in humanitarian settings as tion and adverse intergenerational impacts. Republic of Congo entrenched norms and inequities are magni- These risks are also evident during infec- 4 Correspondence to fied and proliferate during times of crises. tious disease outbreaks, leading researchers Dr Lindsay Stark; GBV is most often perpetrated inside of the to identify how women are more affected lindsaystark@ wustl. edu home, as the prevalence of intimate partner by men economically, socially and in regard Stark L, et al. BMJ Global Health 2020;5:e004194. doi:10.1136/bmjgh-2020-004194 1 BMJ Global Health BMJ Glob Health: first published as 10.1136/bmjgh-2020-004194 on 18 November 2020. Downloaded from to violence victimisation during pandemics.6 While their social networks, connect with services and physical emerging evidence links COVID-19 and GBV, less is distance from abusers.11 13 known in humanitarian settings. These challenges during the Ebola outbreak were of critical concern given the lack of accurate financial resources available to women and girls14 15 and the inad- GBV AND COVID-19: A SYNDEMIC PERSPECTIVE equate engagement of women and girls within planning A syndemic requires that multiple epidemics be inex- and response efforts.11 14 Additionally, work by Transla- tricably linked and mutually deleterious. GBV and tors without Borders identified that the Ebola response COVID-19 synergistically reinforce the impacts that would in the DRC failed to communicate in ways that resonated otherwise arise if either epidemic occurred in isolation. with women including the language used, formatting of For example, shelter in place policies may exacerbate discussion and source of communication initiation.15 domestic violence where women and girls are isolated and living with an abuser. Simultaneously, reduced economic opportunities may drive women and girls to transac- FROM EBOLA TO COVID-19: WHAT CAN WE DO NOW? tional and survival sex, possibly increasing the transmis- Governments have implemented drastic measures to sion of COVID-19. Syndemics are also entrenched in combat COVID-19, but integrated efforts are vital to the geographical or temporal setting in which they are explicitly address the linkage of the COVID-19 and GBV immersed1; humanitarian settings create conditions that syndemic. First, actors responding to the COVID-19 are ripe for syndemics given the fundamental breakdown pandemic need to be mindful that the inclusion of women of economic, political and social systems. Thus, managing cannot be an afterthought or a quota to be filled. We have syndemics, such as GBV and COVID-19, requires not only seen diminishing involvement of women, despite country- addressing each but also the context: conflict, displace- level guidance in Iraq, Libya, Nigeria and Sudan recom- ment, norms and inequities. We must also be cognisant mending increased representation of women in decision- of the intersectionalities that magnify the deleterious making positions. Local women’s organisations should impact of the syndemic among certain groups of women be integrated within response planning, not relegated to and girls in humanitarian settings. This is not the first risk communication and community engagement. These time we have seen these intersections; we can distil useful women, who are embedded in their respective commu- lessons from the 2018–2020 Ebola outbreak in the DRC nities, are best situated to think about how design and to inform our current syndemic.7 roll out measures related to COVID-19 can be done in a way to mitigate GBV risks. Moreover, local women’s asso- ciations may support an intersectional understanding of KEY LEARNINGS FROM THE 2018–2020 EBOLA RESPONSE IN the violence experienced by different groups of women THE DRC as they provide a platform to connect with women who The DRC is known to have a high prevalence of GBV with may otherwise be overlooked or unheard in aggregate 68% of women reporting lifetime exposure to physical, community fora. http://gh.bmj.com/ sexual or emotional violence.8 Moreover, researchers esti- Second, the broader impacts of the syndemic need to mate that an estimated 48 rapes occurred every hour in be integrated into response plans. Evidence of program- the DRC within the year prior to the 2007 Demographic matic impact needs to be weighed routinely, systemati- Health Survey.9 cally and equitably across interventions;to do so, the The 2018–2020 Ebola outbreak in the DRC saw a humanitarian community needs to stop assuming that notable increase in the reported risk and experience of lives saved from COVID-19 infection matter more than on September 28, 2021 by guest. Protected copyright. violence, especially among women and girls. Communi- the lives impacted by interrelated factors, such as GBV. ties reported an increased incidence of sexual and phys- Identifying and supporting women as a vulnerable group ical violence and increased sexual exploitation and abuse within the syndemic framework of programming and of women and girls.10 11 Gender norms became further policy is an important first step. Given the magnified entrenched, increasing tasks required of women and social and structural violence faced by certain groups of girls, including tending to the sick while simultaneously women, these programmes and policies should also use managing household responsibilities.10 12 Adolescent girls intersectional
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