Domestic violence up 13 percent in high-income homes
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — A recent Inter-Development Bank survey has revealed the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on the livelihoods of women living in the country.
Released on Tuesday, the report “The Caribbean Crisis: Results from an Online Socioeconomic Survey” is based on results from six countries in the IDB’s Caribbean Department — The Bahamas, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.
The survey was conducted over a two-week period from April 16 to April 30, 2020, and sought to better understand the implications of this pandemic on livelihoods in the region.
From The Bahamas, 910 people were surveyed.
The study showed that 11.3 percent of women indicated an increase in domestic violence within their household since the beginning of the pandemic.
There was a higher prevalence of an increase in domestic violence in high-income households at 13.9 percent when compared to middle-income and lower-income households, at 10.1 percent and 10.3 percent respectively.
The study noted that an increase in the incidence of domestic violence may be higher due to underreporting.
In June, Bahamas Crisis Center Volunteer Donna Nichols said calls to the center had increased by some 30 percent.
Of respondents, the IDB study showed that 62.5 percent of women were responsible for homeschooling, and 53.1 percent of entertaining children.
It further noted that 68.2 percent of women reported being responsible for caring for adults 60-years or older.
As for cleaning and cooking, 59.9 percent and 57.8 percent of women said they were responsible for those chores, respectively.
Additionally, the report noted that in April 2020, 49.1 percent of households reported eating less healthy meals than usual, and 5.5 percent went to bed hungry.
“COVID-19 has triggered a severe and unprecedented economic crisis in the Caribbean region,” the study said.
“The combination of the halt in tourism arrivals, the fall in international oil prices, and a widespread rollout of curfews is having a severe economic impact on the region.
“All six countries in the Inter-American Development Bank’s (IDB) Caribbean Department, namely The Bahamas, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago, are now expecting a worse economic outlook than that forecast in January 2020.”
