Women and Girls Must Not Be Overlooked This Second Lockdown

“When lockdown started, it made me feel really sad and alone, I used to go to support groups regularly and see friends and lockdown totally stopped that for me, [I] instantly fell into a black hole and felt alone and I lost my coping mechanism.”

Rebecca, a young woman who has survived sexual violence, reflects on her deteriorating mental health during lockdown.

With a national lockdown coming into force today, the most disadvantaged women and girls are likely to face further profound impacts. The last lockdown had dire consequences for women and girls, with soaring rates of domestic violence, worsening mental health, increased levels of poverty as well as facing homelessness. Without action, we risk failing a generation of women and girls who will be amongst those hit hardest.

Agenda’s Voices From Lockdown interim report on the impact of the pandemic on women and girls facing multiple disadvantage and the services supporting them, revealed hidden and increasing demand for services. With another national lockdown, we anticipate further demand being put on services.

When combined with a lack of sustainable funding and increased pressure on staff, vital women and girls’ community services face immense pressure.

These specialist gender and trauma-informed services, upon which so many women and girls rely, have a vital role to play through the next phase of this evolving crisis, and beyond. These organisations must be valued, invested in and listened to by decision-makers on both a local and national level so that the women and girls they support are able to survive the coming challenges this winter.

It is vital that the needs of women and girls facing multiple disadvantage are not overlooked in the government response in the coming weeks.