Background: COVID-19 is a serious global pandemic with more than 1 million confirmed cases and 64,000 deaths. At the same time, violence against women and girls is also a global human rights violation and public health problem in lockdown period.

Methods: A systematic review of studies were conducted to show the relationship between impacts of COVID-19 and violence against women, and their impacts on women’s health and human rights globally. The systematic selection of literature from March 20 up to June 2020 was undertaken.

Results: COVID-19 is a serious global pandemic with more than 1 million confirmed cases and 64,000 deaths. The COVID-19 pandemic has been the fastest-moving global public health crisis in a century, causing significant mortality and morbidity and giving rise to daunting health and human rights violations. As a result of COVID-19, violence against women is increasing and can result serious physical, economical, mental, sexual and reproductive health problems, including sexually transmitted infections and unplanned pregnancies in lockdown in most developing countries including Ethiopia. Hence, the health and human rights of women generally is adversely impacted globally due to COVID-19.

Conclusions: As COVID-19 pandemic deepens economic and social stress coupled with movement restriction and social isolation measures, gender-based violence is increasing exponentially, and trap women and girls. The physical and psychological costs of violence against women and girls are substantial in Ethiopia context. Globally, the estimated global cost of violence against women and girls is 1.5 Trillion women where nearly 1/2 amount of the world population in lockdown due to COVID-19. Hence, it has a relationship of violence against women and girls and surveillance of COVID-19 outbreak globally. In line with problems identified, civil society organizations and governments should work collaboratively with the whole society at home, institutions and public in general.

Keywords: COVID-19; Pandemic; Sexual & reproductive health; Violence against women