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The COVID-19 pandemic is straining public health systems, triggering unprecedented measures by governments around the world, including movement restrictions and shelter-in-place orders. Multiple intersecting determinants of health including socio-economic status, social policies, physical environment and individual characteristics among others compound the poor health outcomes for vulnerable groups of the society. Evidence from prior outbreaks suggests that this crisis will exert a massive toll on women and girls. Existing inequalities compound the risk of violence, including intimate partner violence and sexual exploitation on women and girls due to heightened tensions.