U.S (COVID crisis, domestic violences) : 30 million more cases?!

Dear friend,

WOW : the United Nations just released a report warning that current lockdown measures will likely lead to more than 30 million more cases of domestic violence worldwide.¹

This is horrifying. For these millions of women, the most dangerous place in the world is their own home, and “shelter-in-place” orders mean they can't escape. 

In the past, when enough of us raised our voices, we've forced giant corporations--like CBS, Netflix, and Target--to take action.^2,3 That's why we're joining our friends at Survivors Know to call on one of the biggest chains, Marriott, to open its empty rooms to survivors who need emergency shelter right now while ensuring its essential workers are treated with dignity. Will you add your name?

Tell Marriott :  "Make empty rooms available to  domestic violence survivors while protecting workers."

Sign the petition

Domestic violence is “acting like an opportunistic infection, flourishing in the conditions created by this pandemic.”⁴ Survivors are forced to stay home with their abusers to comply with shelter-in-place orders, they are afraid to seek help for fear of contracting the coronavirus, and they face limited options as shelters deal with budget cuts and lost funding during a national recession.⁵

Women are "whispering to avoid being heard by their partner in the room next-door," and they are using code words at pharmacies.⁶ They are getting hurt but avoiding the emergency room because of fears of contracting the coronavirus.⁷ They are no longer able to seek refuge with family members because of fears of exposing vulnerable populations.⁸ We've seen a huge jump in domestic violence arrests from Portland to Boston to Seattle.⁹ 

At the same time, 80% of hotel rooms across the country are empty and 95% of unionized hotel workers have been laid off, leaving many without any income or access to health care.¹⁰ The majority of hotel workers are women, and a large number of them undocumented, which means they have no access to the social safety net. 

Meanwhile, resources for domestic violence are (as predicted) falling short, and federal relief packages are not adequately addressing the basic needs of vulnerable workers. 

Marriott International, which owns dozens of chains like the Ritz-Carlton, is a behemoth known as the "Walmart of the hotel industry." Marriott has the power to both open up rooms to survivors who desperately need them and ensure workers are protected with personal protective equipment and premium pay. And it cares about its image--if enough of us speak out, we can pressure Marriott to do the right thing.

Join survivors by calling on Marriott to do its part. Will you add your name?

Thanks for speaking out !

Shaunna, Kat, Kathy, Anathea, Sonja, Melody, Lindsay, Pam, Maria, Kimberly, and Katie, the UltraViolet team

Sources :

1. UN warns 6 months of coronavirus lockdowns could lead to 31M cases of domestic violence, The Hill, April 28, 2020

2. Former CBS CEO Les Moonves loses his $120M golden parachute, UltraViolet "Our Impact", accessed April 20, 2020

3. Streaming service threatens to rethink investment after abortion restriction, Newsweek, May 30, 2019

4. A New Covid-19 Crisis: Domestic Abuse Rises Worldwide, New York Times, April 6, 2020

5. As Cities Around the World Go on Lockdown, Victims of Domestic Violence Look for a Way Out, Time, March 18, 2020

6. Women are using code words at pharmacies to escape domestic violence during lockdown, CNN, April 6, 2020

7. As Cities Around the World Go on Lockdown, Victims of Domestic Violence Look for a Way Out, Time, March 18, 2020

8. Ibid.

9. Some cities see jumps in domestic violence during the pandemic, CNN, April 4, 2020

10. Marriott, Hotel Owners Furlough Thousands of Workers, Cut Staff, Wall Street Journal, March 22, 2020.

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