Violence Against Women in a Pandemic

                                                         Audrey Hopkinson

 I was busy getting ready for this morning's Zoom and in-person study group so I didn't blog earlier. I really appreciated the participants and the reminder of how insightful the body of Christ can be, even when scattered hither and yon. 

I am aware that today is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, although I wasn't until reading a CBC News article about a pregnant woman in Brockville who was murdered by her partner on April 1st of this year. Audrey Hopkinson was a 33-year-old nurse and mother of two other children who was loved by many. Her partner took his own life as well, but Audrey is gone because of his cowardly act.

Many of you know that Ruth, my wife, worked as an outreach worker for a women's shelter for nearly a decade when we lived in Bowmanville, Ontario. Her work with clients often happened in secrecy because the women feared the repercussions if discovered by controlling partners, and often the conversations were about the implications of leaving verbally and physically abusive relationships. When people wonder why women don't leave situations that are violent and life-threatening they don't appreciate that the well-being of children, the dislocation from the familiar, the prospect of poverty, and shame, are all factors. 

During the pandemic there has been a rise in the number of cases of domestic violence along with concerns that women are not reaching out for support because of the complications associated with COVID-19. There is also the even greater reluctance to go into a shelter with strangers when the consequence could be serious illness.  All this can be a deadly combination.

Please be aware that these issues have been accentuated during the pandemic and the danger is as real for vulnerable women and children as ever. As we are preoccupied with our strategies for staying safe from the virus, remember those who live with fear of a different kind, often daily. As Christian communities just attempting to get by, we can pray for and support those who are vulnerable, sometimes our own congregational members.