Data Collection, Analysis and Research

WFP updated its corporate results framework in 2019. Through 2020 WFP worked with a variety of actors to document the ways in which WFP activities and operations can contribute to GBV mitigation and strengthen its evidence base on the relationship between GBV, nutrition and food security. These initiatives will inform the corporate result framework update in 2021.

Working with FAO and the GBV Accountability Framework to develop a proposal with a global focus. The proposal provides a working framework for regional bureaux and country office on how to engage with GBV actors and seeks to document good practices that contribute to GBV risk mitigation.

Collaboration between WFP and SIPRI with a focus on GBV and conflict. The objective of this research is to understand to what extent WFP has taken steps to integrate the WPS agenda through its programming and the effects thereof, in order to enhance WFP’s design and delivery of programming that are gender equitable. The research will inform WFP’s understanding of conflict- and gender-related analysis and resulting specific country needs, and how to address these through WFP’s Country Strategic Plans. Further, it will provide ground for building WFP’s ability to define its role in inter-agency commitments to conflict-, security- and gender-related issues, in line with a particular support to the women, peace and security agenda.

WFP also launched the “Gender Equality for Food Security” (GE4FS) measure. The GE4FS measure is a globally applicable instrument that looks at the interconnectedness of dis/empowerment and food in/security. The GE4FS measure combines the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES) and a gender equality component. The gender equality component is a set of 18 questions exploring five dimensions of personal empowerment. It is important to have this data because gender and food – and the associated inequalities and insecurities – are two elements of the daily lives of all persons. 17 countries participated in this exercise.

Hide

Gathering data and evidence on VAWG is vital for gaining insight into the scope, nature, severity and frequency of the different forms of violence experienced by women globally. This data can also help to shed light on who is at highest risk, identify perpetrators, locate hotspots, and reveal the myriad consequences of this violence for individuals, families, communities and societies. This evidence also helps to understand whether survivors can access existing support services. To get a full picture, UN Women supports the production of quality data from different sources to track progress against the SDGs, including prevalence survey data, administrative data, policy data, qualitative data and innovative methods and sources such as big data and remote data collection. In 2022 and 2023, UN Women supported institutions, governments, CSOs and academics to analyse, use and disseminate high-quality statistics and evidence on VAWG by working to increase capacities for the production of quality, comparable prevalence data on VAWG to track SDG progress; strengthen knowledge and data on femicides to support prevention and response interventions; increase the capacities of institutions to collect, analyse, use and disseminate high-quality administrative data on VAWG; and advance innovations to fill critical data gaps on VAWG. UN Women’s work on data and research also includes managing a comprehensive repository on government actions to address VAWG: the Global Database on Violence against Women. One of UN Women’s most popular portals, it receives more than half a million visitors a year.

Specific examples of UN Women’s work include:

Strengthened national statistical offices in 21 countries.

• Developed the Statistical Framework for Measuring Femicide with UNODC.
• Published the Global Technical Guidance for Administrative Data on VAWG to standardize reporting.
• UN Women America's & Caribbean Regional Office collected data using behavioural insights to develop evidence-based strategies to address TFVAW.
• UN Women Multi country office– Caribbean supported the increased availability of globally comparative VAWG prevalence data in the Caribbean through the first round of national prevalence surveys in Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Suriname.
• UN Women MCO – Caribbean published the first studies on the Economic Costs of Violence Against Women and Girls in the Caribbean, in Grenada and Jamaica, and completed an additional ECOVAWG Study in Guyana.
• Research outputs included a costing study on IPV, big data analysis on VAW during crises (in the Pacific) and during COVID, pioneering studies on VAW in politics, violence against LGBTIQ+ people and measuring social norm change in Nepal. UN Women also supports national efforts to improve administrative data systems and is piloting the UN-endorsed statistical framework on femicide.

Hide

UN Women integrated the key performance indicators for the prevention of sexual misconduct from the 2020 QCPR monitoring framework into the Integrated Results and Resources Framework (IRRF) of its Strategic Plan 2022-2025. Using those indicators, UN Women will provide regular updates on its continued efforts on preventing SEA and SH within the Strategic Plan reporting framework.

Following the recommendations of the EGM on Data and VAWP held in December 2019, UN-Women has embarked on developing harmonized survey-based data collection tools that can be used across countries to generate comparable data. As a first step, in 2020, country projects on measuring violence against women office holders (members in parliament and local government) and election candidates were developed in Georgia and Nepal. The fieldwork, data sets, and methodological lessons learned in the two countries, as well as surveys in the Arab Region are expected by the end of 2021.

In Chile, within the framework of the constitutional reform process, and to support mitigation of negative perceptions of women’s political leaders, UN-Women has embarked on a systematic analysis and monitoring of hate speech and online violence against women in politics within the framework of the constitutional process. Initial efforts included real-time monitoring and analysis of 100 million websites and more than 1 billion public data publications through Big Data (Brandwatch Consumer Research). Additionally, UN-Women focused on identifying negative social media content and raise awareness on its negative impact not only on women with an active role in politics but also on the advancement of a public agenda with a gender perspective. The data generated will continue informing policy-oriented advocacy strategies to position gender equality issues in the new constitution (report available here: Link).

In Ecuador, UN Women in partnership with Fundación ESQUEL published a qualitative study on cyber violence experience by women in politics during the 2019 elections ( Available here). This study complements study on Study Violence Against Women in Politics Ecuador  conducted  with Fundación ESQUEL and published in 2019 (available here).

UN Women ESARO in partnership with UNW HQ organized a training on “VAW Prevalence Data” was organized for UN Women, Government Ministries of Gender and Statistics, UNFPA and WHO participants in Mombasa, Kenya.  A total of 38 participants attended from 11 countries in the region.  Following the training at least 4 country offices initiated the “VAW Prevalence Data” program in Ethiopia, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania.  Having focused data on VAW will help the policy makers and development partners in having targeted interventions in creating a safe VAW free environment for women and girls.

In Tanzania, UN Women played a key role in conducting the Social Institution and Gender Index (SIGI) Tanzania survey by providing technical support on sampling, budgeting, conducting the main survey and reporting writing. The survey will produce the gender data related to discriminatory laws through the collection of consistent, high quality data. One such study is a gender analysis of customary justice systems to ensure that evidence is generated for advocacy at national level to support advocacy calling for the review of customary laws. The findings of the survey will be available in 2020.

In Kenya, UN Women supported in the establishment of the county-based network of S/GBV survivors and through the launch of the S/GBV case data collection mobile application. KCO piloted the use of the mobile application to test its efficacy as a response to the challenges of S/GBV data collection at community level.

2018 Public Perceptions of Gender Equality and Violence Against Women in the Western Balkans and Turkey

The infosheets present the key findings of a baseline survey conducted in selected communities of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo (Under UNSCR 1244), North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey. The infosheets provide insight of current and dominant attitudes and perceptions (and the factors that influence them) toward gender equality and violence against women at community level.

https://eca.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2019/05/2018-public-perceptions-of-ge-and-vaw-in-the-western-balkans-and-turkey

Sexual Harassment and other Forms of Gender based Violence in Urban Spaces in Albania

This study looks at the different dimensions of sexual harassment and other forms of gender based violence against Albanian women and girls in urban public spaces particularly in the cities of Shkodra and Korça. It focuses primarily on women and girls’ perceptions of safety and the impact this issue has on their lives, as well as the forms of violence they experience and what strategies they have at their disposal to cope with the violence. The report also contains general and specific recommendations for each of the municipalities involved in the study in order to improve the conditions and take the necessary measures and actions to turn the studied areas into safe areas for women, girls, boys and men. All findings presented in this report are a result of: 500 survey interviews in the two municipalities (Shkodra and Korça), two Focus Group Discussions with 16 participants and two Structured Observations.

https://eca.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2019/05/sexual-harassment-gender-based-violence-in-albania

Analysis of the Cost of Domestic Violence: Estimating the Cost of Multi-sectoral Response at the Local Level in Bosnia and Herzegovina

With the ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention), Bosnia and Herzegovina committed to establishing, developing or enhancing a wide range of general and specialist services for survivors of domestic violence. While the country has a satisfactory legislative framework, which prescribes the obligation to prevent and protect women from different forms of violence, survivors are still faced with various obstacles to accessing a number of services including health, social, and legal support.  With this analysis, UN Women seeks to support national efforts in informed planning and decision-making by providing an estimate of current allocations of existing services that are rendered in response to domestic violence at the local level. Furthermore, the analysis defines recommendations for enhanced financing of basic and specialized services and multi-sectoral approach in line with the requirements of the Istanbul Convention. The significance of the first such analysis in the country is the estimated value of survivors' direct and opportunity costs of domestic violence. The study employed qualitative and quantitative methods of analysis, and included data collected from questionnaires targeting relevant institutions and beneficiaries.

https://eca.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2019/05/analysis-of-the-cost-of-domestic-violence-bosnia-herzegovina

Review of the Multi-sector Approach to Domestic Violence at the Local Level in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Coordination is a central element of the response to domestic violence and violence against women and is crucial both to the victims or survivors and the institutions that respond. This report reviews the viability of applying this approach to the establishment and functioning of multi-sector referral mechanisms at the local level in Bosnia and Herzegovina as the central element of the multi-sector response. The review includes the analysis of the most relevant international and domestic legislation, guidelines and standards on applying a multi-sector response to domestic violence and violence against women in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Furthermore, in-depth information on the multi-sector referral mechanisms was collected in six selected locations through semi-structured interviews conducted with the relevant representatives of the multi-sector teams, gender mechanisms and non-governmental organizations. The gathered information highlighted the three main aspects of an effective and coordinated multi-sector response:

1) The capacities of the multi-sector referral mechanisms,

2) The quality of the service provided by the multi-sector referral mechanisms and

3) Their sustainability beyond the duration of the projects through which they were established.

https://eca.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2019/05/review-of-the-multi-sector-approach

 

Data collection ‘by and for’ minoritized women

Collecting data and conducting research on all forms of violence against women and girls (VAWG) is critical in order to design relevant policies and measures needed to protect and support women and to eliminate VAWG. This policy brief examines the lack of data on violence against minoritized women and highlights the importance of utilizing an intersectional approach to data collection and engaging ‘by and for’ in the data collection process.

https://eca.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2019/10/data-collection-by-and-for-minoritized-women

Regional report on discrimination of Roma women in the area of healthcare, child marriages and support and protection in cases of domestic violence

The Regional Report examines the violence and discrimination faced by Roma women in the areas of health care, child marriage, and institutional protection and support in cases of domestic violence. Based on survey findings in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. The report reveals shocking levels of violence against Roma women, as well as the prevalence of discrimination that prevents Roma women from accessing services and institutional protection in cases of violence. These patterns of violence and discrimination are examined vis-à-vis states' obligations to comply with anti-discrimination and anti-violence frameworks, such as national legislation, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), and the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (the Istanbul Convention). This report was developed under the EU-UN Women regional programme 'Ending violence against women in the Western Balkans and Turkey: Implementing Norms, Changing Minds'.

https://eca.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2019/10/regional-report-on-discrimination-of-roma-women

Making Progress in Prevention Possible

Developed by UN Women and the Equality Institute, this regional framework to monitor progress on VAW prevention responds to the increasing recognition of the importance of gender sensitive data to guide and monitor evidence-based policies and to the need for a prevention monitoring framework contextualized to the Asia-Pacific region. The purpose of this framework is to guide policymakers and practitioners through the key components for building a prevention framework, and to illustrate how to measure change in the short, medium and long term, using an intersectional and whole-of-population approach.

Big Data Study

In COVID-19 and Violence Against Women: The evidence behind the talk, UN Women, in partnership with UNFPA and Quilt AI, conducted analysis of social media big data in eight countries: Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Thailand, the Philippines and Singapore. The analysis explored COVID-19 and online perceptions and concerns on violence against women across Asia and the Pacific. It identified trends from discourse data generated across social media platforms and search engines to inform programming and campaigns on EVAW.

ICT-related VAWG

With the growing reach of the Internet, the rapid spread of information and communications technologies (ICTs) and the wide diffusion of social media, new forms of violence against women and girls have emerged online. UN Women’s multi-country study on Online violence against women in Asia focused on five Asian countries – India, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines and the Republic of Korea – and investigated forms of online violence, legislation and policies governing digital spaces, and how to prevent and respond to this type of violence. The study found that ICT-related violence is common in all five countries and that women and girls are at higher risks of violence in digital spaces: offline violence against women and girls is replicated online.

VAW VAC Study

UN Women, in partnership with UNFPA and UNICEF, undertook a study on the intersections of Violence against Women and Violence against Children in Cambodia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, and Viet Nam. Based on the country studies, the regional report explores opportunities and challenges for collaborative and integrative approaches that meet the specific needs and rights of both women and children.

Decision tree: Data collection on Violence Against Women Migrant Workers

This decision tree helps organizations working on violence against women migrant workers decide when and how to best collect data on women migrant worker’s experiences of violence and their access and use of relevant services. These organizations include service providers, policymakers, national statistical offices, and development partner agencies. This decision tree guides data collectors through the various considerations, viable options, and alternative data sources for obtaining information without jeopardizing participants’ safety or the data’s integrity. The decision tree explores three types of data: prevalence data, administrative data and qualitative data. It was adapted from the Decision Tree: Data collection on violence against women and COVID-19, by UN Women, UNFPA/kNOwVAWdata and WHO.

UN Women Albania supported an analysis of the Albanian legislation in the area of violence against women and girls in politics and a media monitoring of the 2021 parliamentary elections, which identifies possible areas/provisions that could be amended to address VAWE.

UN Women Bosnia and Herzegovina supported development of a first ever Baseline Study on Criminal Justice Protection, Legal and Social Position of Victims of Sexual Violence in BiH. Findings and policy recommendations from the Study provides clear directions for further engagement in improving social and institutional response to sexual violence. The scoping study on sexual harassment in public spaces in Banja Luka was conducted. The findings on the gaps and challenges in legal and institutional frameworks as well the attitudes around SH against women and girls were used for development of a 5-year strategy for addressing SH in public space in Banja Luka.

To generate data on the sexual harassment (SH) and other forms of sexual violence against women and girls (SVAWG) in public spaces UN Women conducted a comprehensive assessment of the risks and experiences of sexual violence encountered by women in conflict-affected Novoaydar and Zolote, Luhansk oblast and Soledar and Toretsk, Donetsk oblasts. This UN Women Multi-site Scoping Study on sexual harassment and other forms of sexual violence against women and girls in public spaces in Eastern Ukraine includes the findings of the Safety Audits of public spaces, as well as the results of online surveys and focus group discussions conducted with women from these communities.

With the expert support provided by UN Women Ukraine 11 Safety Audits of public spaces were conducted by grass root women’s groups in Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts, generating data for the ongoing policymaking aimed at strengthening the investment in gender-responsive urban planning and public infrastructure.

To assess the access of victims/survivors of domestic violence to civil court protection measures and generate evidence for the need to build the capacity of local authorities, law enforcement and judiciary on enhancing the access to justice of victims/survivors of domestic violence through survivor-centred planning, budgeting and coordination UN Women Ukraine conducted an “Assessment of civil court decisions on the issuance of protection orders against domestic violence perpetrators.”

To measure progress on transforming the beliefs and attitudes of women and men on gender norms, power relations and gender-based discrimination and violence in three Ukrainian conflict-affected regions UN Women conducted the “Interim survey of public perceptions and attitudes towards gender-based violence against women in Donetsk, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia  oblasts..”

UN Women Ukraine in partnership with Internews Ukraine has conducted a content analysis of the regional and local media in 7 target regions based on quantitative and qualitative analysis of gender-sensitive stories produced by local and regional media.

In Moldova, UN Women CO supported capacity building activities so that over 73 specialists, including two men and 70 women from 35 social assistance territorial units have enhanced skills and are fully equipped on collecting administrative data on EVAW, by applying improved Annual Statistical Survey n.9 “Domestic Violence”.

An integrated and unified database for cases of domestic violence was developed with UN Women, Kosovo office support. The database in hosted and managed by the Office of the National Coordinator against Domestic Violence/Deputy Minister of Justice and enable the monitoring and prosecution of domestic violence cases in Kosovo, and ensure accountability, by obliging relevant institutions to feed the database with the necessary information from central and local levels.

In Tajikistan: The publication Men and Women in Tajikistan has most up-to-date, sex-disaggregated and comparable data (over time and across the major regions of the country), particularly important for measuring differences in the situation of women and men (i.e. gender gaps), in line with Beijing PoA priority areas and 14 SDGs identified as relevant to Tajikistan. As stated in the National Statistics Development Strategy (2019), “CEDAW convention, Beijing Platform for Action, and SDGs are major catalysts for the collection, analysis and use of sex-disaggregated data and gender statistics”; gender and other variables become a priority in order to fully measure and address gender inequalities, and ensure gender equality by 2030. 

UN Women contributed to this provision technical assistance and support in data collection, analysis, and presentation in the publication.

The major partner was the State Statistical Agency under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan and Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, who lead the process from the GoT side.

Hide

In 2023, FAO published the Status of Women in Agrifood Systems (SWAF) report. The report evaluates the limited existing evidence on GBV in agrifood systems and offers examples of successful strategies for mitigating, preventing, and addressing GBV. By offering concrete examples and identifying research needs, this report contributes to a deeper understanding of GBV in the agrifood context and supports the development of targeted interventions to mitigate violence against women and girls, particularly in rural agricultural settings.

Hide

An initiative by Persatuan Sahabat Wanita, Selangor (Friends of Women Organization, Selangor) in Malaysia focuses on addressing the rising problem of harassment of women workers, particularly undocumented migrant and domestic workers, who are at heightened risk of all forms of gender-based violence. Some activities could not be carried out as planned during 2020 because the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic required the grantee to adapt some initiatives, deliver some virtually and postpone others. Nevertheless, despite the challenges, progress was made in some key project areas, including: the development of an app to report abuses and provide information; gathering and analysing baseline data using responses from 100 women; disseminating information relating to sexual harassment, including launching a video on sexual harassment on Facebook during the 16 Days of Activism, which was widely viewed; and training 15 domestic worker leaders during a short lifting of the ban on gatherings due to COVID-19. The grantee also provided relief to those most at risk during the pandemic and 60 families received emergency aid. Hide

UNFPA plays a pivotal role in data collection, analysis, and research to enhance understanding and response to VAW. 

One of its flagship initiatives, kNOwVAWdata, provides technical support and capacity-building for ethical and robust VAW prevalence studies. Launched in 2016 in Asia-Pacific, it has since expanded to Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean. The initiative helps countries collect and use data to inform programming and monitor SDG 5 on gender equality. 

In humanitarian settings, UNFPA leads GBV administrative data collection through the Gender-Based Violence Information Management System (GBVIMS), ensuring ethical handling of sensitive data to improve response efforts. In 2024, the UNFPA Humanitarian Response Division conducted an external review of GBVIMS, assessing progress and UNFPA’s role as a lead agency. 

Regional Data and Research Efforts 

• West & East Africa: In partnership with UNICEF and the Innocenti Center, UNFPA launched an operational study in 2024 to develop technical guidance for FGM and child marriage programming in humanitarian settings. 
• Arab States: Published "Voices from Syria" and "Voices from Sudan," providing qualitative insights into GBV in crisis settings. 
• Asia-Pacific: Supports VAW prevalence studies, ensuring ethical and robust methodologies. From 2021-2024, APRO supported national surveys in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Indonesia, and Vanuatu—with 32 out of 36 countries having conducted at least one study, and 12 with comparable data to track changes over time. In 2024, APRO and the University of Melbourne published research on technology-facilitated GBV in Asia, including in-depth studies in three countries. UNFPA also ran GBV data learning sessions in four countries in the Pacific under the Spotlight Initiative, hosted a GBV data course in Fiji, and developed the GBV Administrative Data Toolkit for the Pacific. 
• Latin America & Caribbean: Conducted the first regional qualitative research on child marriage and early unions (CMEU) in eight countries, in collaboration with Plan International, making the issue more visible. Based on this research, UNFPA and UNICEF launched an inter-agency strategy to eliminate CMEU, including the Allies for Children and Adolescents Free of Harmful Practices regional platform. 

Through these initiatives, UNFPA strengthens evidence-based policies and interventions, ensuring accountability in the global fight against GBV and harmful practices. 

Hide

ESCWA, in partnership with UN Women, held an Expert Group Meeting on “Methodologies for estimating the costs of achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5)” to receive input and expert advice on the proposed approaches and methodologies to estimate the opportunity cost of achieving the SDG 5 in the Arab States.ESCWA, in partnership with UNDP, UNFPA, and UN Women, under the Gender Justice & the Law project, has updated all country studies to account for amendments to legislation impacting gender justice and violence against women in the Arab region. Additionally, ESCWA developed the Gender Justice Portal (http://genderjustice.unescwa.org/), which includes all relevant materials on the legislation impacting gender justice and violence against women in the Arab region.ESCWA published the “Violence Against Women Survey Implementation Toolkit: Complete questionnaire for a stand-alone survey.”ESCWA contributed to a “Situational Analysis of Women and Girls in MENA and Arab States Region” coordinated by UNICEF and in partnership with UN Women, UNICEF, UNDP, UNFPA, WFP, WHO, UNESCO, FAO, Tdh, and Plan International.  The situational analysis aims to present a snapshot of the lives of women and girls in the Arab region, including instances of violence against women and women’s access to justice.ESCWA, in partnership with UN Women, UNICEF, UNFPA and National University of Ireland, Galway, produced the technical report on “Estimating the Cost of Child Marriage in the Arab Region: Background Paper on the Feasibility of Undertaking a Costing Study”  ESCWA, in partnership with UN Women, UNFPA, UNDP, UNODC and WHO, is undertaking a research study on domestic violence service provider coordination and referral systems in the Arab regionESCWA, on behalf of the Palestinian Ministry of Women’s Affairs, is currently conducting a Rapid Gender Analysis (RGA) of the May 2021 aggression against the Gaza Strip, including an analysis of the impact on GBV and access to GBV services.ESCWA contributed to a Rapid Gender Analysis (RGA) of the Beirut Port Explosions, which was coordinated by UN Women, in partnership with UNFPA, CARE and ABAAD. The analysis includes a discussion of the impact of the aftermath of the explosion on GBV and access to GBV services.ESCWA, in partnership with the National University of Ireland, Galway, supported the Palestinian Ministry of Women’s Affairs with the technical paper on the “Economic Costs of Marital Violence against Women in the State of Palestine.”ESCWA is supporting the Jordan National Commission for Women to implement a national survey to estimate the cost of the out of pocket expenses for survivors of domestic violence. Hide

Reliable, high-quality data is essential to understanding and addressing violence against women and girls. Without robust data collection, tracking trends, and measuring the effectiveness of interventions, policymakers and practitioners lack the evidence needed to drive meaningful change. Spotlight Initiative has played a critical role in strengthening national data systems, ensuring that governments and institutions have the tools to collect, analyze, and use data effectively. By enhancing digital infrastructure, standardizing methodologies, and building capacity, the Initiative has improved the availability of disaggregated, globally comparable data on violence against women and girls to inform policies, services, and advocacy efforts.  

 

The Initiative has supported the development of national data systems, training thousands of government personnel to enhance their ability to produce and analyze prevalence and incidence data on violence against women and girls. Since 2019, 1,151 national statistics officers have strengthened their capacity in this area, and 55 national statistics offices have developed, adapted, and contextualized methods and standards to generate national-level data. This has led to a significant increase in the availability of publicly accessible data: 

• 94 per cent of target countries regularly report data on intimate partner violence—an increase of 32 per cent since the Initiative began. 
• 78 per cent of target countries have publicly available data on femicide. 
• 86 per cent of target countries report on female genital mutilation. 

Strengthening digital infrastructure has been a key component of these efforts. In Mozambique, for example, the InfoViolência database, which tracks gender-based violence cases, expanded significantly with Spotlight Initiative’s support. The number of registered cases tripled within a year, reaching approximately 6,000 cases in 2022. Investments in training police officers, government officials, and other duty-bearers have ensured that data collection processes are standardized and effectively implemented across all target districts. 

Similarly, Spotlight Initiative supported the establishment and expansion of the National GBV Data Situation Room and Dashboard in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs Nigeria from the six target states in which the Initiative works to 36 states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Additionally, the SGBV Accountability Tracker was launched in collaboration with Nigerian Governors’ Wives Forum and the Child Protection Information Management System was also established. As a result, reportage has been scaled up to ensure that GBV data is well coordinated for strengthened policy making and improved national response to violence against women and girls. 

Spotlight Initiative and the government of Jamaica helped establish a new GBV victim data dashboard geographic information system, strengthening efforts to prevent and, over time, reduce the prevalence of violence against women and girls.  This Early Warning Awareness and Response System provides the security, health, and justice sectors with critical, up-to-date information on violence against women and girls, enabling stakeholders, including law enforcement, to map hotspots, conduct risk assessments, and (through heat mapping) develop predictive analysis for all parishes in the country. The data collected will inform policies, programmes, and the response strategies (of service providers), and support the development and roll-out of effective prevention programmes. 

Beyond national efforts, Spotlight Initiative has contributed to groundbreaking research and knowledge-sharing initiatives to deepen understanding of gender-based violence. By producing high-quality data and making it widely accessible, the Initiative has empowered governments, civil society, and international organizations to take evidence-based action in preventing and responding to violence against women and girls. 

Hide

UNODC, through its Center of Excellence in Statistical Information on Government, Crime, Victimization and Justice in Mexico, continued to develop a statistical framework for the measurement of gender-related killing of women and girls. Together with UN Women, UNODC launched a Global Consultation on a Common Statistical Framework on Gender-Related Killings of Women and Girls (Femicide/Feminicide). This initiative responds to the 2019 request by the UN Statistical Commission to develop such a framework, based on the International Classification of Crime for Statistical Purposes. National institutions, civil society organizations and academics all over the word were invited to participate in the consultation and submit their responses.

In Kyrgyzstan, UNODC supported the use of gender-disaggregated statistical forms of gender-related crimes to be included in the electronic crime registry.

UNODC published the study "Abused and Neglected - A Gender Perspective on Aggravated Migrant Smuggling Offences and Response", which found that despite recurring cases where smuggled persons' life and safety is put at risk or where they are subjected to inhuman or degrading treatment there is little to no evidence of judicial responses to put an end to their impunity.

Hide

In 2023, FAO published the Status of Women in Agrifood Systems (SWAF) report. The report evaluates the limited existing evidence on GBV in agrifood systems and offers examples of successful strategies for mitigating, preventing, and addressing GBV. By offering concrete examples and identifying research needs, this report contributes to a deeper understanding of GBV in the agrifood context and supports the development of targeted interventions to mitigate violence against women and girls, particularly in rural agricultural settings.  

Hide