127 Chapter 6 Violence against women Key findings • Violence against women is a universal phenomenon. • Women are subjected to different forms of violence – physical, sexual, psychological and eco- nomic – both within and outside their homes. • Rates of women experiencing physical violence at least once in their lifetime vary from several per cent to over 59 per cent depending on where they live. • Current statistical measurements of violence against women provide a limited source of infor- mation, and statistical definitions and classifications require more work and harmonization at the international level. • Female genital mutilation – the most harmful mass perpetuation of violence against women – shows a slight decline. • In many regions of the world longstanding customs put considerable pressure on women to accept abuse. Introduction authorities to promote awareness of and enforce existing laws; and the absence of educational and Violence against women is an obstacle to the other means to address the causes and conse- achievement of the objectives of equality, devel- quences of violence. Images in the media of vio- opment and peace. It both violates and impairs or lence against women – especially those that depict nullifies the enjoyment by women of their human rape, sexual slavery or the use of women and girls rights and fundamental freedoms. In all societies, to as sex objects, including pornography – are factors a greater or lesser degree, women and girls are sub- contributing to the continued prevalence of such jected to physical, sexual and psychological abuse violence, adversely influencing the community at that cuts across lines of income, class and culture. large, in particular children and young people.2 The low social and economic status of women can be both a cause and a consequence of this violence.1 The Beijing Platform for Action requested all gov- ernments and the United Nations, among others, Violence against women throughout their life cycle to promote research, collect data and compile sta- is a manifestation of the historically unequal power tistics relating to the prevalence of different forms relations between women and men. It is perpetu- of violence against women (especially domestic ated by traditional and customary practices that violence) and to encourage research into their accord women lower status in the family, work- causes, nature, seriousness and consequences as place, community and society, and it is exacer- well as the effectiveness of measures implemented bated by social pressures. These include the shame to prevent and redress violence against women.3 surrounding and hence difficulty of denouncing An elaboration of the situation with regard to sta- certain acts against women; women’s lack of access tistics on violence against women was presented in to legal information, aid or protection; a dearth the previous issue of The World’s Women.4 of laws that effectively prohibit violence against women; inadequate efforts on the part of public 2 Ibid. 3 Ibid. 1 United Nations, 2005. 4 United Nations, 2006a. 128 The World’s Women 2010 The United Nations has recently significantly This chapter focuses on relevant methodological stepped up activities aimed at combating violence issues and sources of statistics that influence the against women. The United Nations Secretary- availability of accurate, robust and comparable General’s 2006 study on violence against women5 data on violence against women. It also describes elaborates on the context and causes of this vio- the work on global statistical indicators for meas- lence and on its forms, consequences and costs. uring such violence. The interim set of these global The study dedicates a separate chapter to issues indicators is then used to present data on violence related to data collection and the gaps and chal- against women compiled from national and inter- lenges in the different sources of data used for national surveys. The final sections of the chapter quantification, with an emphasis on types of vio- look at statistics on female genital mutilation and lence and ethical and safety issues related to popu- at the attitudes of women towards the violence lation-based surveys used as sources. Furthermore, inflicted on them. the study points to the fact that the development and use of common indicators on violence against women is critical for a full and comprehensive A. Statistical methodology overview of this phenomenon. 1. Development of global statistical indicators 6 The General Assembly adopted four resolutions in Comparability of statistics on violence against the period 2006–2009 on intensification of efforts women is one of the major requirements for pro- to eliminate all forms of violence against women, viding an accurate quantification of this phenom- thus emphasizing countries’ concern about the enon across time, nations, regions and the world. issue. It also built on the Secretary-General’s call Violence experienced by women takes many differ- for developing global indicators, requesting in its ent forms, and it is necessary to classify them into resolution 61/142 of December 2006 that such sets of indicators to create a common statistical undertaking take place as a matter of urgency to instrument that should be applied in data collec- assist governments in assessing the scope, preva- tion exercises. lence and incidence of violence against women. The work on global statistical indicators is man- Simultaneously the United Nations is undertak- dated by the General Assembly.8 The United ing work on defining and identifying the differ- Nations Statistical Commission, in response, ent forms this violence takes in order to enable established the Friends of the Chair group to accurate assessment and quantification. This is identify and list statistical indicators on violence best reflected in the Secretary-General’s Cam- against women.9 Since population-based surveys paign UNiTE to End Violence against Women. and administrative records are the source of sta- The overall objective is to raise public awareness tistics measuring this violence, the indicators are and increase political will and resources. One of differentiated on that basis. For surveys, the list of the five key outcomes as benchmarks for the cam- indicators consists of: paign to be achieved in all countries by 2015 is the “establishment of data collection and analysis i. Total and age-specific rate of women sub- systems on the prevalence of various forms of vio- jected to physical violence in the last 12 lence against women and girls”.7 Three outputs are months by severity of violence, relationship listed under this benchmark: (1) All countries have to the perpetrator and frequency undertaken a dedicated population-based survey ii. Total and age-specific rate of women sub- or module on violence against women and girls; jected to physical violence during lifetime by (2) All countries have integrated data collection on severity of violence, relationship to the perpe- violence against women and girls in their adminis- trator and frequency trative and routine reporting systems, including for health, police and justice; and (3) All countries, the iii. Total and age-specific rate of women sub- international community and other actors commit jected to sexual violence in the last 12 months to ensuring the gender disaggregation of existing by severity of violence, relationship to the data, where possible. perpetrator and frequency 5 United Nations, 2006b. 8 United Nations General Assembly, 2006. 6 General Assembly resolutions 61/143 of 2006, 62/133 of 9 For the composition and proceedings of the group, 2007, 63/155 of 2008 and 64/137 of 2009. visit: http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/meetings/vaw/ 7 United Nations, 2009a. default.htm. Violence against women 129 iv. Total and age-specific rate of women sub- ful statistics, provided that data on the victim – as jected to sexual violence during lifetime by well as data on the perpetrator, if available – are severity of violence, relationship to the per- disaggregated by age and other personal charac- petrator and frequency teristics. The adaptation of crime statistics in gen- eral to produce data on violence against women v. Total and age-specific rate of ever-partnered is part of the work on developing and adopting women subjected to sexual and/or physical international statistical standards for measuring violence by current or former intimate part- such violence.12 ner in the last 12 months by frequency The health sector is another source of statistics on vi. Total and age-specific rate of ever-partnered various forms of violence, as are records kept by women subjected to sexual and/or physical non-governmental organizations involved with violence by current or former intimate part- the protection of abused and battered women. It ner during lifetime by frequency should be noted, however, that statistics from these vii. Total and age-specific rate of women sub- sources are scarce and lack full reliability. This is jected to psychological violence in the past because information on the occurrences and con- 12 months by intimate partner sequences of violence is usually collected on a vol- untary basis since recording incidents and report- viii. Total and age-specific rate of women sub- ing on victims of violence is often not mandatory jected to economic violence in the past 12 for health-care and other systems. months by intimate partner ix. Total and age-specific rate of women sub- 3. Surveys as a source of statistics on violence jected to female genital mutilation against women Statistics on the following indicators should be In principle, population-based stand-alone surveys drawn from administrative records: are the instruments of choice for collecting statis- i. Femicide and spousal homicide by personal tics on violence against women.13 Where there are characteristics of the victim and the perpetrator resource problems, however, a well-designed mod- ule within a general or other purpose survey would ii. Forced marriage be an appropriate tool as well.