Peer-reviewed article
“The pandemic only gave visibility to what is invisible”: a qualitative analysis of structural violence during COVID-19 and impacts on gender-based violence in Brazil
Luissa Vahedi, Samantha McNelly, Nina Lukow, Anna Carolina Fonseca, Dorcas Erskine et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This qualitative study examined how COVID-19 amplified structural violence and gender-based violence (GBV) in Brazil. Researchers interviewed 12 service providers working in GBV prevention and response across three Brazilian cities. The analysis identified that structural violence operates through government policies of inaction and erasure, disproportionately affecting Black women, transgender persons, and residents of favelas, while community-driven responses focused on meeting basic survival needs like food security. The findings show that COVID-19 intensified existing inequalities rather than creating new problems.
Key points
- Structural violence manifests as policies of inaction and erasure that reduce opportunities for upward social mobility among GBV survivors, including Black women, trans persons, and residents of favelas
- Structural violence is identified as a fundamental cause of violence against women and children
- COVID-19 exacerbated existing forms of structural violence throughout Brazil, particularly affecting vulnerable communities
- Service providers documented community-driven responses addressing basic survival needs (food insecurity) within the context of structural violence
- These community responses were innovative and agile, based on needs directly expressed to and observed by service providers
Limitations
This study relies on key informant interviews with service providers rather than direct accounts from survivors of gender-based violence, so it captures professional perspectives on structural violence rather than lived experiences. The findings are specific to three Brazilian cities and may not represent all regions of Brazil.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic produced alarming rates of disease and mortality globally, yet few nations were as severely impacted as Brazil. The pandemic also exposed and exacerbated persistent forms of structural violence across Brazil, which complicated gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and response efforts. While structural violence is not new, the systemic pressure and uncertainty introduced by COVID-19 intensified the detrimental impact of structural violence on the lives of Brazilians impacted by GBV. This work qualitatively investigated how the COVID-19 pandemic amplified structural violence and GBV in Brazil. METHODS: We analyzed key informant interviews (KII) conducted with 12 service providers working in sectors related GBV prevention and response in Roraima, Boa Vista, and Rio de Janeiro. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and translated from Portuguese or Spanish into English, before applying deductive and inductive coding approaches through a collaborative data reduction process. The theoretical lens of structural violence outlined by Farmer and Rylko-Bauer guided the thematic development. RESULTS: Analyses identified three themes. First, structural violence manifests as policies of inaction and erasure, which reduce the opportunity for upward social mobility among GBV survivors including Black women, trans persons, and people who live in the favelas. Policies of inaction and erasure fail to acknowledge/adequately respond to the significant health and safety needs of these communities. Second, structural violence is a fundamental cause of violence against women and children. Finally, service providers described community driven responses that address the dire survival needs (i.e., food insecurity) imposed by COVID-19, within a context of structural violence. These community driven responses were innovative, agile, and based on dire needs expressed to, and observed by, the service providers interviewed. CONCLUSION: This analysis highlights how the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing forms of structural violence prevalent throughout Brazil. Findings stress the urgency with which the Brazilian government and international organization must act to support community driven programs that strive to address the most basic human needs.