#16DaysofActivism against #GenderBasedViolence – 25th November – 10 December 2020
Being a woman, girl or LBGTQ is hard in any given year. Finding the supplies you need for managing your hormones, period supplies, working, living with those who would harm you. And even just walking down the street and not being harassed.
In some countries, wearing a head dress or being jailed, fined, stoned for not. Facing genital mutilation.
Managing fertility needs, or trying to avoid them by using protection, or at worst case getting an abortion. If it’s available.
But in 2020, the pandemic has made the safety of being a woman, girl or LGBTQ even harder. At a time when services are on lockdown, some of the worst of the worst in predators and abusers are taking advantage and people are dying at a higher rate.
Even though this was thought of by the UN and governors around the world, more people are dying this year than other years.
So now we’re at a place of saying, please check on your neighbours. If you suspect they need help, then you’re more likely right than not. Please do the work of finding them resources. Offer them a respite, better yet a way out. If you have extra cash, save an envelope in your house (taxi fare/bus fare, a night in a hotel, a change of clothes, a couple days of meals — what you can afford to help them flee that their partner cannot find)
The shelters are full with homeless, the services are mostly on hiatus. So we need to plan like they don’t exist and go back to earlier times. And help each other be safe(r).
There is no magic bullet coming and people are dying, not just from the pandemic either.
The 16 days are from the day of recognition of women and girls struggle with gender based violence and human rights’ day.
mspeachierocks 