1. Violence against Women Indicators on scope, prevalence and incidence
Violence against Women Indicators on scope, prevalence and incidence... REFLECTIONS ON VAW Egm report 2007
Dr Henrica A. F. M. Jansen
UNECE Work Session on Gender Statistics
Geneva, 8 October 2008

2. Introduction General considerations for indicators on VAW
Overview proposed indicators on VAW
Comments for reflection and discussion

3. "Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts."
(Sign hanging in Einstein's office at Princeton)

4. INDICATORS.... Need to provide a simple summary of a complex picture
Need to present features to support informed decision making, policy and programs
Need to be sensitive enough to measure change (periodicity)
Need to enable international comparisons
(remember “SMART”???)

5. issues for selection of indicators
No indicator is perfect
It is important to be aware of potential weaknesses
The range of indicators to be used changes according to the purpose and context
If you use of a group of indicators that reflect different aspects of VAW than you get a better idea of the bigger picture
Disaggregation of indicators (sex, age, rural/urban, etc.)

6. Prioritize based on Availability of data sources
Feasibility and sustainability of data collection
Not overburden States
Indicators can be an incentive towards systematic and accelerated data collection (accompanied by capacity building and institutional development)

7. Two main types of indicators on VAW
Outcome indicators: To measure the extent of the phenomenon (included in EGM report)
Process indicators for policy development and implementation to measure the States’ responses to the problem (indicators developed elsewhere)

8. AVAILABLE data sources for vaw indicators
Surveys done: VAW/IPV/DV/GBV (by type, time, perpetrators)
Reported violence, through administrative and crime statistics
Issues: comparability reliability...

9. Available data sources: Surveys
2006: In region covered by Conference of European Statisticians: 25 national surveys in 17 countries Half conducted by/with NSOs
National dedicated surveys
Internationally comparative surveys
Module added to other surveys (cheaper, limited, more under-reporting, safety issues)

10. Data collected on VAW in surveys
Almost all surveys give indicators of prevalence.
Many also on frequency
Almost all on perpetrators
Surveys carried out by many national statistical offices and other institutions, however as ad hoc activity
Attitudes sometimes collected -- Issues around usefulness

11. Many surveys focus on IPV
This may not be the most common form of VAW, depending on context
Demand driven indicators are needed with a regional dimension

12. Report of Expert Group meeting on vaw indicators, 2007
Limited to scope, prevalence and incidence of VAW
Give a overview of existing initiatives for the development of indicators
Proposing and international framework for indicators on VAW
Recommending a course of action for different stakeholders at global, regional and national level and donors.

13. ONE SINGLE vs separate indicators
One indicator on the prevalence of all forms of VAW justified in terms of possible misuse of disaggregated data to stigmatize communities..
However:
Not simple
Not easy to interpret, different contexts
Not related to existing data sources
Not clear how to assess over time
Not comparable transnational etc etc

14. Proposed indicators Physical violence Sexual violence
DIMENSIONS
severity
Perpe-trator
Fre-quency
Last year
Lifetime X
Physical violence
Sexual violence
Intimate partner violence
Harmful practices
FGM
Early marriage (<18y)

15. Proposed indicators Survey Physical violence Sexual violence
Data source
Survey
???
Survey/records?? Contextual?
Physical violence
Sexual violence
Intimate partner violence
Harmful practices
FGM
Early marriage (<18y)
Need to reconsider harmful practices

16. Proposed indicators Acts/freq/sev Physical violence Acts/freq/else?
Measurement issues
Acts/freq/sev
Acts/freq/else?
Phys and/or sex who is partner??
Physical violence
Sexual violence
Intimate partner violence

17. Future work to expand the set of indicators
Killing of women by intimate partners
Female infanticide
Threats of violence
Economic and emotional violence as part of IPV
“Honour” crimes
Dowry related violence
Sexual exploitation
Trafficking
Femicide
Forced marriage
Sexual harassment
Issues:
Different data sources!!
Different levels of feasibility
Consider including Child Sexual Abuse

18. OPERALIZation – HOW?
Operationalization of the different types of violence in terms of acts/injuries (methodological work in ongoing)
Severity, threshold (including frequency, injuries, impact?)
Incidents/Frequency?
STRENGTH: FOCUS ON SEVERITY AND INCIDENTS

19. Prevalence POSSIBLY NOT BE the best indicator (Walby)
Advantages
Uses concept of DV as a ‘course of conduct’
Conventional measure among DV experts
Disadvantages
Hard to translate into crime statistics, which are based on number of ‘incidents’
Does not contain measure of severity
Specialised, not mainstream, indicator

20. Severity of gender-based violence and crime statistics (Walby)
Frequency/Incidents
Crimes are counted as incidents
If dv/gender based violence is to be mainstreamed into crime statistics there needs to be an incident count
Injuries
Violent crime categories are differentiated primarily by injury level, though also intent
To mainstream, injuries need to be known for each incident

21. STRENGTHs Moving towards “mainstreaming” vaw
Moving towards more inclusive vaw (not only DV/IPV)

22. Outstanding issues Special surveys vs. Modules
Standardized/harmonised methodology – possible/desirable?
Realistic expectations of indicators – provides baseline, but not likely to see dramatic changes in prevalence in the short term

23. Women’s safety as priority
It really counts,
And it needs to be counted!!!

24. THANK YOU!!