Aftermath of COVID-19: exploring the perception of violence against women in the Middle East and North Africa

Pourmehdi, Mansour ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6342-8248 (2023) Aftermath of COVID-19: exploring the perception of violence against women in the Middle East and North Africa. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. ISSN 0886-2605

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Abstract

This article explores correlates of perception of domestic violence against women (DVAW) in the Middle East and North Africa in the aftermath of the COVID-19 Pandemic using Arab Barometer VI parts 1 and 2 (N= 12,548). Results showed that men and social conservatists were less likely to state that the violence against women in the community has increased. The odds of expressing that the violence in the community has increased was higher amongst the religious people. Individuals who lost their jobs because of the COVID-19 outbreak were more likely to report that DVAW in the community has increased compared to others. The strongest predictor was the current economic situation of the country, those who believed the economic situation of the country was bad were 1.6 times more likely to believe that DVAW has increased. Government handling of the crisis and the overall government performance increased the odds of perceiving that DVAW has increased. Investigating correlates of DVAW as the consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic is crucial because it help governments, emergency services and community leaders to develop strategies of prevention for future disasters and improve community and institutional reactions. Keywords Domestic violence against women, Covid-19 outbreak, Arab societies, Islam, patriarchy.