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LAWC reports ‘alarming’ surge in demand for services during COVID-19 pandemic
London Abused Women’s Centre (LAWC) say they’ve seen an alarming surge in demand for their services over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the reality of what the United Nations has described as a “shadow pandemic” of violence against women and girls during the global health crisis.The organization says it helped at least 9,235 women and girls during its most recent fiscal period, which ran from April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021, marking an increase of about 16 per cent compared to the fiscal year previous.According to LAWC, the figure includes 5,400 calls for service and 3,835 people who accessed individual and group support.More distressingly, the agency’s Urgent Services Support Program, which provides women and girls with