Data Collection, Analysis and Research

UN Women’s flagship programme, Safe Cities for Women, is operating in 13 countries to develop models of urban spaces free from violence against women and girls. Five cities (Cairo, Delhi, Kigali, Port Moresby and Quito) are applying an impact evaluation methodology to contribute a solid evidence basis for what works. Cities are using various data collection methods, for example: multi-media and smart phone technology in Rio’s favelas; engendering of existing survey instruments in the Municipal Observatories of Quito; and institutionalization of safety audits in Cario. Hide

In 2012 UN Women supported data collection efforts in Uruguay, Lao PDR, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mexico, Morocco, Zimbabwe, Timor Leste, and Viet Nam – looking at causes, prevalence, and specific types of violence that require tailored interventions. For example, in Bosnia and Herzegovina UN Women, UNFPA, the Gender Equality Agency and BiH Statistics Agency conducted a first ever Prevalence Survey on domestic violence and violence against women. In Mexico, the study Femicide Violence: Characteristics, Trends and New Expressions at the state level 1985-2010, in collaboration with INMUJERES, the Congress and Academia was produced. In Viet Nam, UN Women commissioned a costing study estimating the economic impact of domestic violence against women at the household and macroeconomic levels and a report on Masculinities and GBV in collaboration with UNFPA. In Nepal, UN Women with UNFPA and the Enabling State Programme/ Department for International Development (ESP/ DFID) commissioned a study to track GBV cases to gain a better understanding of how the country’s systems respond to reported cases. Hide

The Violence Against Children Survey part of the Together for Girls Initiative (including UNICEF, UN Women, UNFPA, UNAIDS and WHO as partners) has collected prevalence of and circumstances surrounding violence, targeting females and males aged 13-24, and has already been completed in Kenya, Haiti and Zimbambwe. Results were released in Zimbabwe and Kenya, in May and Novemer 2012, respectively. The results will be released in Haiti, in early 2013. Hide

UNICEF is continuing work on secondary analyses of MICS and DHS data on FGM/C and child marriage to be published in separate publications in 2013. UNICEF is undertaking global evaluations of its work in emergency and development contexts to address violence, as well as providing technical and financial support to an interagency action research project on the functioning and effectiveness of community based child protection mechanisms. Under the Child Protection Monitoring and Evaluation Reference Group, UNICEF leads a technical working group that is developing guidelines for data collection on violence against children. Focused support is also being provided to countries in East and Southern Africa to improve M&E systems related to violence prevention and response in collaboration with governments. At the global level, data analysis (drawing largely on MICS and DHS) is being undertaken with the Population Council to determine the markers of vulnerability that make children more susceptible to various forms of violence. UNICEF has also contributed to the following publications: Ethical principles, dilemmas and risks in collecting data on violence against children: a review of available literature (http://www.childinfo.org/files/Childprotection_EPDRCLitReview_final_lowres.pdf); Inter-Agency Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Response; (http://cpwg.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Minimum-standards-for-child-protection-in-humanitarian-action.pdf; Protection of children of children from violence: a synthesis of evaluation findings (http://www.unicef.org/evaldatabase/index_66192.html). Hide

UNFPA and UNICEF completed the inception phase of a joint global evaluation of the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on FGM/C. Hide

UNFPA, supported by AusAID, has carried out research on the sexual and reproductive health needs of women with a disability in Kiribati, Solomon Islands and Tonga, and carried out a study on prevalence and women’s health, in Samoa, in Republic of Marshall Islands, Cook Islands, Palau, Federated States of Micronesia, and Nauru. It aslo supported data collection in the Central American region, in collaboration with INGO Ipas. The project Comprehensive security for women, with an emphasis on sexual violence: Campaign to combat impunity related to sexual violence is implemented in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua and it proposes recommendations on data collection and indicators monitoring. Hide

UNFPA supported the UN Special Rapporteur on VAW (SRVAW) on the global research relating to the interpretation and implementation of the international law principle of the due diligence obligations of States in the promotion and protection of women’s human rights in general and to a life free of violence in particular. Hide

UNFPA and UNHCR are in the process of supporting the Ministry of Gender in Liberia to develop a GBV Information Management System. The GBV IMS will be modelled on the global GBV IMS which is already being piloted in several countries. The work will be supported by the Global IMS surge team and locally by the Liberia Institute for Geo- Statics and Information (LISGIS). The system aims to harmonise all existing data sources on GBV and strengthen systems for storage and dissemination. Hide

OHCHR published a Guide on indicators for human rights which integrates indicators and methodological tools in relation to violence against women; and supported fact-finding missions to Mali and Commissions of Inquiry on Syria which, inter alia, look into violence against women including sexual violence. Hide

UNODC released the "Global Report on Trafficking in Persons" that revealed an increase in the number of girl victims, who make up two thirds of all trafficked children. Girls constitute 15 to 20 per cent of the total number of all detected victims. The vast majority of trafficked persons are women, about 55 to 60 per cent of victims detected globally and the total proportion of women and girls together soars to about 75 per cent. Hide