New online course: How data can help to end violence against women

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28 August 2023 Departmental news
A new online course for public servants and policy makers on how to use data to end violence against women is now available, launched by the WHO-UN Women Joint Programme on Violence Against Women Data and Measurement, in collaboration with Apolitical and the UN Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction (HRP). The free to access course is being hosted on Apolitical’s peer-to-peer learning platform, an online community for people working in government and closely supporting government.

Violence against women and girls is a global concern affecting public health, gender equality and human rights, prevalent in every country and culture around the world. WHO estimates that 1 in 3 women around the world experience physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime, mostly at the hands of an intimate partner. Policymakers play a critical role in both prevention and response.

Data is key to action – essential to understand the magnitude of the problem, inform policies and programmes, advocate for change, and monitor progress towards eliminating violence and meeting policy and reporting commitments. By completing this new course, public servants and policymakers will gain knowledge about methodologies and the vital role of data in addressing violence against women. The four-part course covers:

What is considered violence against women data, and why is it essential.
Types of data, collection methods, and considerations for managing and reporting, in particular related to prevalence surveys and administrative data.
Underreported and under-researched knowledge gaps related to data capturing diverse women’s experiences of violence – such as older women, women with disabilities, and migrant and indigenous women.
Methodological challenges and innovations regarding collecting data, such as in times of crisis (e.g., during the COVID-19 pandemic and in humanitarian emergencies), as well as ethical and safety concerns.