Angelina Jolie Pens Essay on Domestic Violence Against Women Amid Pandemic
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
In a new essay for TIME, actress and activist Angelina Jolie voiced concern over increased violence against women during the coronavirus pandemic.
Echoing the UN Secretary General's latest report on COVID-19, which states that "gains on gender equality risk being reversed by decades," Jolie made it clear that the pandemic is not the sole cause of continued threats against women—such as domestic violence and genital mutilation—that are prevalent across the globe.
"While the virus has inflamed inequities in societies, it did not create them," the Oscar winner explained. "Humans—not disease—are responsible for unjust laws and systems, and racial and social inequality. The coronavirus is just the latest excuse for all that we didn't fix ourselves."
She cited how, in America alone, "more than three women a day on average were murdered by their husbands or boyfriends."
Jolie reminded readers that protecting women should not be a "partisan issue," but it has become one.
"The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) was allowed to lapse in February 2019 and has yet to be reauthorized," the star continued. "Only Joe Biden has committed to the authorization of VAWA in his first 100 days in office and to America leading in the fight against gender-based violence globally."
Her new essay on violence against women isn't the first time that Jolie has taken action in the face of this crucial time. In March, Jolie donated $1 million to the No Kid Hungry organization.
"Over a billion children are out of school worldwide because of closures linked to coronavirus. Many children depend on the care and nutrition they receive during school hours, including nearly 22 million children in America who rely on food support," Jolie said in a statement shared with E! News. "No Kid Hungry is making resolute efforts to reach as many of those children as possible."
