• Remedial strategies

Strategies and actions for ending violence against women and reducing HIV and AIDS infection

This paper summarises the discussions of an expert working group examining violence against women. The expert group discussed in-depth the strengths and weaknesses of the two most common forms of data collection on the subject: population-based surveys and service-based data. In addition to quantitative data collected through these methods, the group discussed the importance of using qualitative data to study other aspects of violence against women. Qualitative methods can be an especially effective tool for assessing the nature of gender-based violence in an environment where little or no systematic data exists, such as conflict-affected areas. They can also be used to gain deeper insight into the causes and consequences of violence against women and to gauge attitudes towards such violence.

Participants concluded that although substantial progress has been made in the past ten years in the development of methodologies and procedures for data collection on violence against women and a reliable body of evidence on the extent, nature and consequences of violence is currently available, this data is difficult to compare across countries and regions. Likewise, tools for active data collection on violence against women are now widely available and need to be applied and used consistently to strengthen the knowledge base for action against violence against women

The expert group made several recommendations on data collection, including:

• national statistical agencies, or relevant ministries such as health or justice, have an important role to play in setting standards, ensuring consistency of concepts, ensuring regular frequency of data collection, and ensuring that data are widely disseminated in a timely fashion
• data collection activities and methodology need to be developed in consultation with a wide range of stakeholders, including data suppliers, advocates and agencies providing services to women, policy-makers, legislators and researchers to ensure that the data are relevant to stakeholders
• data collection and dissemination needs to be transparent. Data should be disseminated in aggregate format as broadly as possible
• women’s safety is a priority and must not be jeopardised at any point during data collection
• confidentiality and privacy is of utmost importance both during data collection and in the processing and storage of data. Safe storage of data to protect the respondents must be a priority
• there is the need to strengthen the capacity of countries to systematically and accurately collect, process and disseminate data on violence against women, and to use such data as a basis for effective and targeted legislative, policy and programme development and implementation on all forms of violence against women
• all relevant stakeholders including women's organisations, non-governmental organisations, other service providers and policy makers should be included in all stages of design and process of data collection and use.

The report also includes recommendations for improving population-based surveys , and improving service-based data.

• Full text of document
• Publisher details
• Send to a friend