Search
UN Women launched the Global Database on Violence against Women website during the Commission on the Status of Women 2016. The Global Database is an online resource, designed to provide comprehensive and up-to-date information on measures taken by 193 United Nations Member States to address all forms of violence against women, in the areas of laws and policies, prevention, services, and statistical data. It also serves as an important tool to monitor the implementation of SDGs and its target areas on violence against women. The Global Database is one of three websites on the Global Knowledge Platform to End Violence against Women. The platform aims to improve knowledge and coordination among different actors in order to address violence against women more effectively, and it offers a comprehensive picture of interventions addressing VAW, both by Governments as well as by the UN system. In addition to the Global Database, the other two websites on the platform are: the Inventory of UN Activities to End Violence against Women, and the Virtual Knowledge Centre to End Violence against Women and Girls.
In 2016, ESCWA started to develop a study entitled “Status on Arab Women Report - Violence against Women: A Costly Bill”. This study is mandated by various international legal and policy frameworks, such as the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, with a particular focus on the integrated measures to prevent and eliminate Violence against Women. Besides, the study is aligned to the SDGs and particularly Goal 5 on gender equality and the empowerment of women, which sheds light on combatting violence against women as a key factor to achieve the goal. Finally, this study is mandated by the recommendations emanating from the 7th session on the Committee on Women held in January 2016, which requested ESCWA to “estimate the economic cost of violence and provide Member States with a model to be issued for this purpose”.
In June 2014, OHCHR launched a paper on “Eliminating Judicial Stereotyping: Equal Access to Justice for Women in Gender-based Violence Cases”. The paper is a tool to raise awareness of, and encourage advocacy related to, judicial stereotyping in gender-based violence cases.
OHCHR commissioned several studies on violence against women. Following the kidnapping of over 200 girls in Nigeria, OHCHR commissioned a study on attacks on girls seeking to access education. OHCHR also produced a study which addressed the human rights situation of women in detention in Senegal as well as a study on "honour" killings in Palestine. In June 2014, OHCHR published a study on gender-based and sexual violence in relation to transitional justice (A/HRC/27/21). Also in June 2014, OHCHR published a study on wrongful gender stereotyping by the judiciary in cases of sexual and gender-based violence in Guatemala and West Africa. As part of the Team of Experts on the Rule of Law on Sexual Violence in Conflict, OHCHR with DPKO, and UNDP, published an annual report on 2014 on sexual-violence in conflict. OHCHR also supported fact-finding missions and commissions of inquiry which looked into violence against women, including sexual violence in Mali and the Central African Republic.
UNHCR is a founding member of the Gender-Based Violence Information Management System and sits on its Steering Committee along with UNFPA, IRC, IMC and UNICEF. UNHCR is working to strengthen and harmonize data collection on SGBV by implementing the GBVIMS in selected operations. In 2015, UNHCR provided technical support in data collection and analysis to 22 countries.
UNICEF contributed significantly to building the global evidence base, leading or co-leading on major research, studies and publications. In 2014, UNICEF published the largest-ever compilation of data on violence against children – “Hidden in Plain Sight: A Statistical Analysis of Violence against Children”, followed by a dedicated statistical report on violence against adolescents’ girls - “A Statistical Snapshot of Violence against Adolescent Girls”. In 2015, UNICEF released an analysis of current levels, trends and projections of child marriage in Africa. Despite persistent challenges, an increase in the quality and rigor of data around violence against children, including sexual violence was noted in 2015, with 32 data-driven studies produced globally. In addition, a “Diagnostic Review and the Study on the Structural Determinants of violence against children and women” was completed by UNICEF in 2015 by the University of Cape Town. Jointly with WHO, Center for Disease Control and other partners, a multi-sectoral package of evidence-based interventions to prevent and respond to violence against children was developed.
UNODC led global efforts to improve data availability and quality on gender related crime. The International Classification of Crime for Statistical Purposes (ICCS), endorsed in 2015 by the UN Statistical Commission and CCPCJ, provides specific guidance on how to deal with gender-related crime, in terms of specific data disaggregations by sex and by considering crime motive. If properly implemented by national data producers, crime statistics will allow the analysis of data on crime by sex and age of victims and perpetrators, on the relationship of victims and perpetrators and on the motive of crime.
UN Women Multi-Country Office in Barbados has provided support to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to develop and adopt a model for conducting national prevalence surveys on violence against women in the region. The model is currently being piloted in Jamaica, where prevalence data are expected to be available in late 2016-early 2017, and will be later implemented in other countries in the region. In Kazakhstan, UN Women supported the Committee of Statistics to conduct the first specialized national survey on the prevalence of domestic violence, through provision of expert's support to conduct a series of trainings for implementing the survey.
In June 2015, UNICRI published a good practice handbook: “Promoting a gender responsive approach to addiction”, which provides practical examples of gender mainstreaming in addiction services, as well analyses the most relevant factors influencing the development of addiction in women and girls, including the role of previous abuse and violence. The handbook also discusses protective and resilience factors, as well as the role of trauma from previous violence experiences and the specific characteristic of female recovery processes.
The UNDP Regional Hub for Arab States has commissioned a comprehensive assessment on how GBV protection services are being addressed through legislation, practices and their implementation. The study is to be used to inform effective gender justice programming to combat GBV in the Arab States Region especially in the justice and security sectors. The analysis will also support country and regional advocacy efforts to advocate for the reform of laws, policies and practices that respect and uphold women’s rights.