Since the COVID-19 pandemic was declared on 11 March 2020, in Latin America and the Caribbean, as in other world regions, it has been necessary to address a rise in gender-based violence against women and girls, which has been aggravated by the lockdown measures, physical distancing and mobility restrictions that have left women more isolated from their support networks and created additional barriers in access to essential services. Faced with this global emergency, 146 Member States and observer States have expressed their support for the United Nations Secretary-General’s call in April 2020 to ensure that preventing and redressing violence against women and girls are a core component of national COVID-19 response plans.