Factors shaping responsiveness towards sexual gender-based violence during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Africa: A systematic review

Abstract

Background: Several studies have been conducted on effects of COVID-19 on health, social and economic situation. However, evidence on the African continet on the responsiveness to sexual gender-based violence during the COVID-19 pandemic has not been adequately documented. This paper systematically reviews evidence from the African context regarding how countries responded to sexual gender-based violence during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: Drivers shaping the occurrence of SGBV included social and political responsiveness. The forms of SGBV experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic included; sexual; social- economic; physical emotional and domestic violence. Factors affecting responsiveness towards SGBV includes; limited availability or accessibility to the justice system, challenges accessing health services, inadequate human resources, fear of contracting COVID-19, social and economic barriers, and breakdown of social networks. Strategies for enhancing responsiveness included; training support, status on referral and linkages systems, protection services such as shelters and safety services, helplines and hotlines/communication, and collaboration on SGBV response. Conclusion: There is need to strengthen broader systems responsiveness through collaboration by creating strategies that promote reduction of SGBV. These strategies should include; community engagement to shift social -cultural norms towards gender and sexuality, creating social development opportunities for empowering and enabling women and girls with self-help and reliant activities, leveraging on community health systems structures to detect, link and monitoring of SGBV cases as well as co-integration of traditional justice system into the mainstream. Subjects: Behavioral Medicine; Community Health; Preventative Medicine; Allied Health; Health & Society