In a study released MONDAY by the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and some of its partners, experts showed that gender-related violence has risen while and access to family planning has decreased.

This study found that nearly 50 million women across 114 countries are projected to be without access to modern contraceptives if the COVID-19 shutdown continues for six months. The estimates showed that, for every three months the lockdown continues with high levels of disruption, as many as two million additional women could be without access to these contraceptives. In light of the disruption to these services, about seven million unintended pregnancies are expected if the lockdown continues for six months.

Other efforts by the UN, such as ending child marriages, domestic violence and female genital mutilation are also expected to be set back as the shutdown continues. The study showed that gender-related violence will increase to 31 million additional cases if the lockdown continues for six months, with 15 million more for every three months it continues. The World Health Organization has reached similar results. Due to setbacks in efforts to end child marriages, the experts conducting this study count that a total of 13 million more child marriages may occur between 2020 and 2030 that global efforts would have prevented. A one-third reduction in progress toward ending female genitalia mutilation by 2030 is also expected during the COVID-19 disruptions.

Thus, the goals of the UNFPA, which include “[e]nding unmet need for family planning, ending gender-based violence including harmful practices such as female genital mutilation and child marriage, and ending all preventable maternal deaths,” are expected to experience considerable setbacks as a result of the major disruptions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

For more on COVID-19, see our special coverage.