Sexual abuse and unwanted pregnancies amongst women and girls in Malawi during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Violence against women and girls increased during the COVID-19 pandemic across the globe. This study investigates the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to sexual abuse towards women and girls in Malawi and explores if there was an association between reported cases of sexual abuse (rape and defilement) and the number of women and girls accessing post-abortion care services across Malawi's four administrative regions: Northern, Central, Eastern, and Southern.

Methods

The study employed an explanatory mixed-methods approach. Administrative data from 2018 to 2021 on reported cases of rape and defilement obtained from the Malawi Police and on the number of women that accessed post-abortion care services from Malawi Public Health facilities was analysed

SUBMITTER: Chikhungu LC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12764007 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature