Include Domestic Violence in Core Statistical Publications

1. Include Domestic Violence in Core Statistical Publications Geir Øvensen and Dag Roll-Hansen Division for Development Cooperation Statistics Norway October 2008

2. Statistics to fight domestic violence • Domestic violence obstructs development • Recent political initiatives • Less sensitive than before How should the statistical community respond? “Mainstreaming”: Include Domestic Violence in Core Statistical Publications

3. World wide challenge

4. Southern Africa: Politicians are moving • New SADC Gender Protocol signed in August 2008 • 25 articles on different gender aspects, ranging from access to justice and education • Call for governments to prohibit all forms of gender-based violence, including marital rape • Seven year action plan: • 23 specific targets • Time frames for achieving gender equality in all SADC countries • Call for effective monitoring and evaluation

5. Country Level Political inititatives Malawi: Strategic Plan for Ministry of Gender 2003–08: • Increase awareness among women, men, girls, and boys on gender-based violence and discrimination and its effects Performance Indicators • Increased number of gender based violence cases being reported to authorities • Reduced cases of gender-based violence • Changes in people’s attitudes towards gender-based violence

6. Some key findings from Malawi: Low correlation with education • Almost 30% of adult women has ever experienced physical domestic violence, and half of them during last 12 months • Higher education of woman only slightly lowers risk of violence • Somewhat reduced, but still high prevalence among educated men

7. Some key findings from Malawi: Not primarily a (micro level) poverty problem • Share of women >15 years who experienced physical violence in or outside home, not strongly related to household wealth quintile • More than 60% of cases current husband; 75% current and/ or former husband • Under-reporting may be more prevalent in the highest quintile?

8. Some key findings from Malawi: Alcohol associated with increased violence • A heavy-drinking husband: • More frequently beats his wife • and more frequently gets beaten himself

9. Some key findings from Malawi: Husbands’ violent behaviour develop over time • Sub-group of women married 10+ years • Share of these women whose husbands’ committed violence • After 10 years of marriage, one in four had experienced violence from husband • Highest risk after some years, but still risk for onset of domestic violence after that

10. Why mainstreaming? • Avoid marginalization • Should be presented with other important social statistics • Get domestic violence discussions out in the open • Explaining the phenomenon • No strong relation to household wealth or education of husband or wife • Attitudes and awareness seems important • Laws and reporting is not effective – statistics is needed

11. In short • Domestic violence obstructs development • Data on domestic violence is requested by users, in particular in developing countries • Domestic violence should be a part of official statistics • Statistics can be used to fight domestic violence