A Critical Analysis toward Understanding COVID-19, IPV and Women of Color.

Overview: The COVID-19 pandemic has exemplified the need to explore how the pandemic and the COVID-19 responses have impacted women of color experience of IPV. The proposal identifies the racial disparities that exist for women of color and suggests that Critical Race Theory can be a useful tool.Proposal text: The session will focus on bringing awareness to the unique experiences of women of color. This session will demonstrate the need of recognizing how COVID has exacerbated the implications of IPV among women of color. There is a need to bring awareness to the implications of the physical lockdown restrictions, and stay-at-home orders for women of color subjected to IPV. It is crucial to begin identifying strategies and plans during the COVID-19 pandemic that allows information, services, and resources to be accessible for women in the content of stay-at-home orders. There is a need for health professionals such as social workers and counselors to be aware of the racial disparities and racial inequalities that often compound women of color experiences of IPV. Recognizing the racial realities of women of color impacted by IPV is essential to the development of racially inclusive and effective prevention and intervention efforts. These efforts need to address how the pandemic and historical, social-economic, and structural factors create additional challenges for women of color, specifically when exploring IPV reporting and accessibility to services and resources. Health professionals’ awareness of the implications of COVID and the sociohistorical factors is valuable to fully understand the unique narratives and struggles of women of color. This awareness provides health professionals the racial competency to better assess, detect, and intervene in IPV-related cases The session will identify the racial disparities that exist for women of color and apply Critical Race Theory as a useful tool to engage and understand IPV among women of color.