A scoping review on covid-19 and gender-based violence: A child marriage-based study in Africa

Abstract

Researchers have documented the disastrous consequences of trying to contain COVID-19, where the socioeconomic situations of many economies, institutions like industries, schools, universities, and other service providers were seriously affected. Even cases of gender-based violence including child marriages increased. However, consolidated information on gender-based violence targeted toward women and girls during the pandemic in Africa is not available. The purpose of this paper is to examine studies from 2020 to 2022 to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced gender-based violence in Africa. The study aims to provide valuable insight for guiding policy makers and practitioners during future pandemics. A scoping review was conducted to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic increased gender-based violence and child marriage. We searched Google Scholar, JSTOR, ProQuest, and Online newspapers, blogs, and podcasts focusing on COVID-19, gender-based violence, and child marriages in Africa. The results revealed that gender-based violence and child marriage increased during COVID-19. Women and girls bore the brunt of the social and economic consequences of the pandemic with reported high levels of intimate partner violence. Further findings indicated that increased poverty, school closures, and weakened law enforcement were critical factors that promoted child marriages during COVID-19. The paper offers valuable insights, which could be a useful reference for future pandemic measures in Africa. It revealed key factors contributing to child marriage during COVID-19 and by extension related future pandemics. Policy makers and practitioners will also benefit from the study findings. As findings will inform the development of policies that protect and focus on women and girls against violation of their rights and ill treatment during and after pandemics. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to provide a scoping review on gender-based violence in the form of child marriage after COVID-19 in Africa.