Recommendations into Action Brief COVID-19: Safe Cities and Safe Public Spaces for Women and Girls
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INTRODUCTION
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused massive disruptions to daily lives and the operation of businesses and services, especially to health, social services, transport, hospitality, economic development, education, and recreation sectors with various measures in place in countries across different waves of the pandemic including: lockdowns, quarantines, curfews, social distancing, etc.
The pandemic has exacerbated violence against women and girls in public and private spaces. While some may assume that given the current context public spaces must be safer, however emerging data demonstrates the contrary. As women continue to use and be present in public spaces, especially those working in health and essential services, and in the informal sector, they face heightened risks to sexual and other forms of violence, with fewer bystanders and witnesses in public spaces. In