What protects women from violence during crises? Lessons from the Indo-Pacific
PHYU PHYU OO, HELEN STENGER, CONNIE GAN, SARA E DAVIES AND JACQUI TRUE |
When societies face sudden crises—whether natural disasters, pandemics, financial shocks, or conflict—the impacts extend far beyond physical destruction and economic loss. Evidence increasingly shows that such shocks can also increase the risk of violence against women (VAW). A recent scoping review examining three decades of research across the Indo-Pacific highlights both the scale of the problem and a crucial gap: while many studies identify risk factors for violence during crises, far fewer explore what actually protects women from harm.
Shocks are intense events that overwhelm local capacity, including disasters, health emergencies, economic crises, and political conflict. These events disrupt livelihoods, strain social systems, and often displace communities. Between 2000 and 2019 alone, disasters affected more than four billion people globally, with the Indo-Pacific experiencing the highest number of recorded events.
Research has consistently shown that violence against women tends to escalate during and after such disruptions. Shocks can weaken law enforcement, reduce access to support services, increase economic stress, and intensify existing social inequalities. Together, these pressures create conditions in which violence becomes more likely.
The review analysed 63 peer-reviewed studies conducted between 1993 and 2023 across the Indo-Pacific region. It identified 12 key risk factors associated with violence during shocks, operating at multiple levels—from individual relationships to broader structural conditions.
Financial insecurity emerged as the most prominent risk factor. Sudden loss of income, food insecurity, and economic instability—common consequences of disasters and pandemics—can heighten tensions within households and increase women’s vulnerability to abuse. Women are often disproportionately affected because they are more likely to work in informal or insecure employment.
Physical insecurity also plays a significant role. Displacement, overcrowded housing, and unsafe temporary shelters can increase women’s exposure to violence. In situations of conflict or disaster, families may be forced to relocate or share limited living space, reducing privacy and safety.
Socio-cultural norms further compound these risks. Pre-existing gender inequalities and patriarchal beliefs can intensify during crises. In some contexts, practices such as early or forced marriage may increase as families seek perceived economic or social protection for girls.
Despite extensive research on risks, the review found surprisingly little evidence about protective factors—conditions that help prevent or reduce violence during crises. Of the 63 studies analysed, only three explicitly examined factors that protect women from violence.
The review also revealed major geographic gaps in research. While the study covered 46 countries across the Indo-Pacific, research had been conducted in only 21 of them, with most studies concentrated in Bangladesh, India, and Indonesia. Significant gaps remain across the Pacific Islands, despite their high exposure to disasters and, in some cases, high rates of gender-based violence.
As climate change, political instability, and economic uncertainty increase the frequency of shocks across the Indo-Pacific, understanding how to protect women from violence during these events is more urgent than ever. Strengthening research on protective factors will be essential for building resilient communities where safety and equality are not casualties of crisis.
Professor Sara E Davies, Dr Phyu Phyu Oo and Dr Connie Gan (Griffith Asia Institute and ARC Centre of Excellence for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (CEVAW)), Dr Helen Stenger and Professor Jacqui True (Monash University and CEVAW).
This blog is a synopsis of the journal article, What keeps women safe from violence during shocks? Review of risk and protective factors in the Indo-Pacific region written by Phyu Phyu Oo, Helen Stenger, Connie Gan, Sara E. Davies and Jacqui True