From measuring violence against women to assessing state responses: Developing global indicators

1. ECE/CES/GE.30/2006/29 From measuring violence against women to assessing state responses: Developing global indicators Prof Liz Kelly Child and Woman Abuse Studies Unit London Metropolitan University

2. Themes • Special Rapporteur’s on VAW its Causes and Consequences project • Defining terms • Challenges in terms of responses from states, UN agencies, academics and NGOs • Issues and Promising directions

3. Calls for indicators • Beijing+10 • Special Rapporteur • Measuring VAW • Assessing state progress • Secretary General’s report on VAW • Link to MDGs • EU • Begun in 1998, various presidencies

4. Current project • Proposal by SR in 2003 to develop two sets of indicators • Commission on HR’s resolution on VAW in 2004 (2004/46), para 25, need to develop, with international consensus on ways to measure and measures taken to eliminate • Tasks • Review current research literature on measuring Vaw and indicators • Consult with states, UN agencies, academics and NGOs • Produce a technical report with recommendations

5. Defining terms - VAW • Claims to cover VAW, but often limited to domestic or intimate partner violence • Sometimes as few as 5 or 7 items • Sexual violence, 0-3 items, some or all of which include ‘force’ • EC v Bulgaria, International Criminal Court • African research on sexual initiation • Limited attention to sexual harassment, FGM/C, sexual exploitation, stalking, crimes in the name of honour – and have lost notion of women’s safety • Seriousness and frequency only an issue for some forms – some are serious and have consequences by definition – FGM/C, forced/child marriage, acid attacks

6. Defining terms - indicators • “Robust, valid and reliable” (Walby, 2005) • A number, proportion, percentage, rate, trend • Summarise complex data • Link to quantitative data • Unambiguous • Basis to assess change • Relevant to multiple audiences • Available at regular intervals • Comparable across social groups and states

7. Challenges • States and other parties not on board with the VAW agenda • Research and PoA’s limited to DV/IPV but report as VAW • Do not understand technical issues about measuring violence, prevalence etc • Have dragged their feet about gender disaggregation of statistics • Vested interests in own definitions/research tools • Impossible to have common definitions that connect to local law • Number of indicators • Over/under inclusive • Resources and capacities of states

8. Current EU recommendations • VAW (IPV) • No of female victims • Types of victim support • Prevention measures • Sexual harassment • Percentage of employees reporting • Percentage of public/private bodies with policy • Percentage of public/private bodies with procedures to sanction perpetrators

9. Promising directions 1: Femicide index • Intimate partner violence • Men killing women • Women killing abusive men • Sexual murder • ‘Honour’ killings • Women in prostitution • Local issues – Cuidad Juarez • Could adapt to include other issues – dowry, female infanticide where locally relevant

10. Promising directions 2: Attrition • The proportion of reported cases that fail to result in prosecution and conviction • Increased reporting as indicator of decreased tolerance and increased confidence in the justice system • Rates of investigation, prosecution and conviction indicators of extent to which systems have engaged with VAW

11. Attrition in rape cases: England and Wales 1985-2004

12. Attrition in rape cases: Germany 1977-2001

13. Attrition in rape cases: Hungary 1977-2001

14. Attrition in IPV • Marianne Hester et al • North of England, developing record keeping and case tracking with police and courts • 2402 incidents 2002-2004 • 50% of individuals re-offended in the period • Increasing percentage of arrests where had powers • Arrest, charge and conviction in 120 (5%) • Convictions more likely where charges were for public order/criminal damage

15. Promising directions 3: Mainstreaming a conceptually sophisticated indicator module - FGM/C Module used in Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS+), at least 17 countries and UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) • Key indicator: Prevalence of FGM/C by age cohorts 15-49 (5 year bands) • FGM/C status of all daughters (age now, age cut) and percentage of forms of FGM/C - possible trends/changes between generations and over more recent time • Performer of FGM/C. • Support of, or opposition to FGM/C by women and men age 15-49 Indictors for programming • Public declarations of intent • Community-based surveillance mechanisms for girls at risk • Drop in prevalence

16. Other potential routes • Attitude surveys • Eurobarometer • Common data collection tools for services • Routine enquiry – current rates and health impacts – but not just IPV • Accident and emergency • Pre and post natal • Mental health

17. Good and bad news • Unprecedented interest in developing indicators • Uneven starting points • IPV/VAW • Continuum of interests • States, organisations, NGOs and academics • Difficult conundrums • Common definitions across ongoing debates and varied legal contexts