Are we there yet?: Can indicators provide a route for comparative

assessment of state responses to VAWLiz Kelly

Child and Woman Abuse Studies UnitLondon Metropolitan University

Key themesKey themes

Setting the contextSetting the context Defining terms Defining terms

ChallengesChallenges

Attempts to dateAttempts to date

Promising directionsPromising directions

Mainstreaming Gender Mainstreaming Gender into Human Rightsinto Human Rights

Gender marginal in development of human Gender marginal in development of human rightsrights

VAW marginal to equality in CEDAWVAW marginal to equality in CEDAW Feminist activism over 15 years to link HR, Feminist activism over 15 years to link HR,

gender and women’s equality gender and women’s equality VAW central in dual key approachVAW central in dual key approach

Women’s rights in mainstream HR discourseWomen’s rights in mainstream HR discourse Transform HR through recognition of state Transform HR through recognition of state

responsibility for prevention and redress with respect responsibility for prevention and redress with respect to gendered violations by private actors to gendered violations by private actors

Key Events Key Events

The Vienna Declaration on Human Rights, 1993

UN Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women, 1993

Beijing Platform for Action Special Rapporteur on VAW its Causes

and Consequences

Call for indicatorsCall for indicators

Beijing+10Beijing+10 Special RapporteurSpecial Rapporteur

Measuring VAWMeasuring VAW Assessing state progressAssessing state progress

Secretary General’s report on VAWSecretary General’s report on VAW EU EU

Begun in 1998, various presidenciesBegun in 1998, various presidencies

Defining terms - VAWDefining terms - VAW… … the term “violence against women” means any act of gender-based the term “violence against women” means any act of gender-based

violence that results in or is likely to result in physical, sexual or violence that results in or is likely to result in physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivations of liberty, whether occurring acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivations of liberty, whether occurring in public or private life.in public or private life.

Violence against women shall be understood to encompass but not be limited to, Violence against women shall be understood to encompass but not be limited to, the following:the following:

(a)(a) Physical, sexual and psychological violence occurring in the family, Physical, sexual and psychological violence occurring in the family, including battering, sexual abuse of female children in the household, including battering, sexual abuse of female children in the household, dowry-related violence, marital rape, female genital mutilation and other dowry-related violence, marital rape, female genital mutilation and other traditional practices harmful to women, non-spousal violence and violence traditional practices harmful to women, non-spousal violence and violence related to exploitation;related to exploitation;

(b)(b) Physical, sexual and psychological violence occurring within the general Physical, sexual and psychological violence occurring within the general community, including rape, sexual abuse, sexual harassment and community, including rape, sexual abuse, sexual harassment and intimidation at work, in educational institutions and elsewhere, trafficking in intimidation at work, in educational institutions and elsewhere, trafficking in women and forced prostitution;women and forced prostitution;

(c)(c) Physical, sexual and psychological violence perpetrated or condoned by the Physical, sexual and psychological violence perpetrated or condoned by the State, wherever it occurs.State, wherever it occurs.

Defining terms - indicatorsDefining terms - indicators

• ““Robust, valid and reliable” (Walby, 2005)Robust, valid and reliable” (Walby, 2005)• A number, proportion, percentage, rate, trendA number, proportion, percentage, rate, trend• Summarise complex dataSummarise complex data• Link to quantitative dataLink to quantitative data• UnambiguousUnambiguous• Basis to assess changeBasis to assess change• Relevant to multiple audiencesRelevant to multiple audiences• Available at regular intervalsAvailable at regular intervals• Comparable across social groups and statesComparable across social groups and states

ChallengesChallenges

Common global definitionsCommon global definitions Analytic frames for local variationsAnalytic frames for local variations

All or some forms of VAWAll or some forms of VAW Number of indicatorsNumber of indicators

Over/under inclusiveOver/under inclusive Starting pointsStarting points

Resources and capacities of statesResources and capacities of states

Current EU Current EU recommendationsrecommendations

VAW (IPV)VAW (IPV) No. of female victimsNo. of female victims Types of victim supportTypes of victim support Prevention measuresPrevention measures

Sexual harassmentSexual harassment Percentage of employees reportingPercentage of employees reporting Percentage of public/private bodies with policyPercentage of public/private bodies with policy Percentage of public/private bodies with procedures Percentage of public/private bodies with procedures

to sanction perpetratorsto sanction perpetrators

Promising directions 1: Promising directions 1: Femicide indexFemicide index

Intimate partner violenceIntimate partner violence Men killing womenMen killing women Women killing abusive menWomen killing abusive men

Sexual murderSexual murder ‘‘Honour’ killingsHonour’ killings Women in prostitutionWomen in prostitution

Promising directions 2: Attrition

The proportion of cases that fail to result in prosecution The proportion of cases that fail to result in prosecution and convictionand conviction

It has a number of layers, and timings - with slight It has a number of layers, and timings - with slight variations depending on legal systemsvariations depending on legal systems Decisions of women and girls about reporting and staying with Decisions of women and girls about reporting and staying with

processprocess Skill and decision making of policeSkill and decision making of police InvestigationInvestigation ProsecutionProsecution Trial processTrial process

1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000Reported 1842 2288 2417 2855 3305 3391 4045 4142 4589 5032 4986 5759 6281 7636 8409 8593Prosecutions 844 927 1048 1288 1400 1467 1711 1648 1704 1782 1604 1696 1880 2185 2169 2046Convictions 450 415 453 540 613 561 559 529 482 460 578 573 599 675 659 598

Note: these figures obviously include children - see 1998 onwards! adults onlyproceed 1366 1319 1245convict 382 317 329

Attrition in England & Wales (Cases include Minors)

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

Cases

Reported 1842 2288 2417 2855 3305 3391 4045 4142 4589 5032 4986 5759 6281 7636 8409 8593 9743

Prosecutions 844 927 1048 1288 1400 1467 1711 1648 1704 1782 1604 1696 1880 2185 2169 2046 2651

Conv ictions 450 415 453 540 613 561 559 529 482 460 578 573 599 675 659 598 572

1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

Attrition in Scotland (Cases include Minors)

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

Cases

Reported 178 166 145 166 170 131 139 224 248 249 241 279 328 326 320 350 339 395 403 447 570 613 591 562 589

Prosecutions 60 52 50 52 64 55 52 43 80 65 64 61 72 70 62 68 74 55 43 72 65 66 56 50 61

Conv ictions 35 29 34 30 40 31 30 20 39 29 34 32 40 37 26 33 37 30 28 33 29 37 27 27 36

1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

Attrition in Germany (Cases include Minors)

0

1500

3000

4500

6000

7500

9000

Ca

se

s

Reported 6725 6598 6576 6904 6925 6708 6723 5954 5919 5604 5281 5251 4987 5112 5454 5568 6376 6095 6175 6228 6636 7914 7565 7499 7891

Prosecutions 1703 1617 1603 1609 1711 1651 1683 1660 1480 1456 1461 1403 1297 1194 1138 1298 1323 1415 1323 1341 1321 2401 2480 2490 2451

Conv ictions 1190 1162 1166 1177 1310 1303 1333 1333 1180 1156 1161 1110 1017 923 897 1014 1053 1124 1021 1010 1009 1873 1917 1877 1876

1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

Attrition in Hungary (Cases include Minors)

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

Cases

Reported 430 491 434 469 562 483 622 653 593 622 485 438 457 468 470 438 410 436 417 423 392 346 331 294 321

Prosecutions 479 415 499 523 474 505 399 326 328 315 324 298 288 297 278 281 251 219 201 159 199

Conv ictions 542 424 406 398 410 443 400 489 490 460 386 325 291 257 212 236 184 264 238 195 224 203 173 162 157

1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

Mainstreaming: FGM/CMainstreaming: FGM/C Module in Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS+), at least 17 countries.UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) – rapid an d reliable where

lack data Prevalence of FGM/C by age cohorts 15-49 Key indicator; cohorts in five year bands FGM/C status of all daughters Current age of daughters as well as on the age at which they were cut Percentage of “closed” FGM/C (infibulation, sealing) and “open” FGM/C (excision) For women and daughters Performer of FGM/C. Support of, or opposition to FGM/C by women

and men age 15-49

Indictors for programming•  Public declaration of intent• Community-based surveillance mechanisms for girls at risk • Drop in prevalence

Other fruitful routesOther fruitful routes

Attitude surveysAttitude surveys EurobarometerEurobarometer

Common data collection toolsCommon data collection tools UK SARCsUK SARCs SheltersShelters Intervention ProjectsIntervention Projects

Routine enquiry – current rates and health Routine enquiry – current rates and health impactsimpacts Accident and emergencyAccident and emergency Pre and post natalPre and post natal

Not there yet, but the journey Not there yet, but the journey is getting interestingis getting interesting