Charlize Theron, Jennifer Garner And Others Join Hands To Fight Gender-Based Violence Amid Pandemic

Charlize Theron, Jennifer Garner, Viola Davis, and many more Hollywood actresses are joining hands to address the issue of gender-based violence amid the ongoing pandemic. Many reports suggest that cases of violence against women and young girls have increased ever since governments imposed the lockdowns.

To help women who are suffering from violence during such dark times, Theron has partnered with CARE (a humanitarian organization) and the Entertainment Industry Foundation to launch a campaign called “Together For Her.” The campaign seeks to help the victims by sending them financial support and other essentials amid the novel coronavirus outbreak, per People.

The media outlet also mentioned that more than 50 women from various fields have joined the movement, including Allison Janney and Reese Witherspoon.

Talking about the initiative, the “How To Get Away With Murder” star shared that she has been a victim and a survivor of domestic violence and she knows how traumatic it can be. She also explained that the victims are so physically and financially exhausted that they cannot take the chance of leaving the house and as a result, they keep on taking the abuse.

“I am a child survivor of domestic violence. It is the last of the acceptable abuses. It thrives on silence and metastasizes into lifelong trauma that cannot be quantified. The abused have been physically, emotionally, and financially incapacitated. As a result. They stay. They are continuously abused and in a lot of cases, killed,” Davis said.

On the other hand, Janney believes that this is the perfect time for strong women to stand up and help those who are in need. She also feels that women become more vulnerable when there is an emergency.

“In times of crisis, that power is amplified. There is no more important time for strong and empowered women to come together than during an emergency when women become extra vulnerable to hardship and abuse,” Janney said.

The news comes a few weeks after the United Nations reported that the number of domestic violence cases could go up to 31 million if the lockdown continues for six months. Meanwhile, the cases could breach the 60 million mark if the lockdown is imposed for 12 months.

Last month, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Rihanna also donated $4.2 million to the Los Angeles Mayor’s Fund to help the people who are experiencing domestic violence amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the time, ABC News reported that the donation will help in providing food and a place to live for 90 domestic violence victims per week for 10 weeks.