Violence Against Women at the Beginning of the Covid-19 Pandemic: The Discourse of the Digital Media

Objective: to analyze how the digital media portrayed violence against women at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil, in the light of gender. Method: a descriptive study with a qualitative approach that used online data (news and comments) published on digital platforms: news portals, newspapers, governmental websites and from feminist organizations, and theTwitter social media. The data were extracted using a semi-structured instrument and treated by means of thematic content analysis, with the aid of the webQDA software. Results: three empirical categories were found, namely: The effects of COVID-19 on the numbers of violence againstwomen; COVID-19 unveiling violence against women in public and private spaces; and COVID-19 and violence against women: two pandemics in parallel. At the beginning of the pandemic, an increase and worsening of infringements were verified, probably related to social distancing and to the worsening of the economic crisis. The narratives addressed violence against women primarilyas a phenomenon directly related to the pandemic and to the social distancing measures or the consequences of the health crisis. Conclusion: the results instigate reflection and provoke the recognition of women's vulnerability to violence in the home environment, through the media'scritical approach to the phenomenon for the deconstruction of the androcentric sexist patterns and in search of gender equality. The potential of the digital media to understand the expression of violence against women in a unique moment in history was evident, stimulating reflections that can contribute to its confrontation.