Navigating uncertainty, employment and women’s safety during COVID‐19: Reflections of sexual assault resistance educators

Abstract

COVID‐19 affects women in ways unique to the impacts of structural inequalities related to gender, sexuality, disability, race, and socioeconomic status. In this article, we reflect on our own experiences of the pandemic, as feminist students, workers, and sexual assault resistance educators located in a Canadian post‐secondary setting. Situating ourselves within feminist responses to sexual violence prevention, as facilitators of the EAAA sexual assault resistance education program for university women, we reflect on the impacts of the COVID‐19 pandemic on our work as EAAA facilitators in our Canadian university. We explore the theoretical possibilities that critical disability theory and queer theory present to the EAAA program, and argue that incorporating concepts from these frameworks will complement the goals of the EAAA program and improve inclusivity of queer, trans, and disabled participants. We conclude with a look into the future by anticipating the impacts of COVID‐19 on our future work.

Leading through social distancing: The future of work, corporations and leadership from home

“…It will be essential to actively seek to capture the lessons that the collective responses to the COVID‐19 crisis have provoked and demanded, so that the ‘right lessons’ are learned, to medicate against a cycle of further crises becoming the order of the day (Branicki, 2020; Janse van Rensburg & Smith, 2020). Capturing and reflecting these emerging social patterns will be critical in ensuring that the much‐needed learning informs collective choices that can serve the common good.…”

The global prevalence and its associated factors toward domestic violence against women and children during COVID-19 pandemic—“The shadow pandemic”: A review of cross-sectional studies

“…52 "This pandemic disproportionately affects marginalized communities in ways unique to the impacts of structural inequalities regarding to gender, race, disability, sexuality, and socioeconomic status." 53 Restrictive global policies for controlling COVID-19 pandemic will intensify "sexual and reproductive health and justice inequities": 54 Intimate partner violence (IPV) is also commonly referred to as DV. It includes SV, physical violence (PV), stalking, and psychological aggression by a present or former intimate partner.…”

“…The evidence showed that the chronic effects of child sexual abuse were anxiety, feelings of isolation and stigma, poor self-esteem, depression, and self-destructive behavior, a tendency toward re-victimization, substance abuse, and sexual maladjustment. 52 “This pandemic disproportionately affects marginalized communities in ways unique to the impacts of structural inequalities regarding to gender, race, disability, sexuality, and socioeconomic status.” 53 Restrictive global policies for controlling COVID-19 pandemic will intensify “sexual and reproductive health and justice inequities”: 54…”

Rural and Urban/Suburban Victim Professionals’ Perceptions of Gender-Based Violence, Victim Challenges, and Safety Advice During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…The pandemic has exacerbated the occurrence of many forms of gender-based violence and the impact on victims. For example, there is growing evidence that domestic violence (e.g., IPV and child abuse) increased during the pandemic (Boxall et al, 2020; Bradbury-Jones & Isham, 2020; Gosangi et al, 2021; Leslie & Riley, 2020; Peterman & O’Donnell, 2020; Piquero et al, 2021) and that the conditions of the pandemic have facilitated the occurrence of human trafficking (particularly vulnerable youth; Todres & Diaz, 2021) and sexual assault (Janse van Rensburg & Smith, 2021). Risk factors for gender-based violence, such as unemployment/financial strain, substance use, isolation, depression, and anxiety have increased during the pandemic (American Psychological Association, 2020; Czeisler et al, 2020; Peterman & O’Donnell, 2020).…”