Experience of Sexual or Gender Based Violence

Freedom from violence and other types of abusive behaviour is a critical aspect of greater gender equality. This indicator therefore measures the proportion of target group members who in the past 12 months experienced one of the main types of abusive behaviour. Considering how sensitive the collection of the required data is, this indicator should be used only in interventions that address the prevention and response to abusive behaviour.

Determine the indicator’s value using the following methodology:

1) Decide what type of abusive behaviour your survey will measure: sexual violence (committed by a partner or any other person), physical violence (committed by a partner or any other person), emotional abuse or controlling behaviour.

2) Collect and analyse the required data using the following guidance:

- guidance on measuring the prevalence of sexual violence committed by an intimate partner

- guidance on measuring the prevalence of sexual violence committed by any person

- guidance on measuring the prevalence of physical violence committed by an intimate partner

- guidance on measuring the prevalence of physical violence committed by any person

- guidance on measuring the prevalence of emotional abuse by an intimate partner

- guidance on measuring the prevalence of controlling behaviour of an intimate partner

Disaggregate the data by the respondent’s gender, age group, ethnicity, and other factors depending on the local context.

1) Should you decide to measure several types of abusive behaviour using the same survey, it is recommended that you report on each type of abusive behaviour separately. Mixing, for example, the prevalence of sexual violence and the prevalence of controlling behaviour would not provide very useful data.

2) The methodology is prepared primarily for measuring the prevalence of women who experienced abusive behaviour. However, with minor changes, the same methodology can beused for measuring men’s experience of abusive behaviour.

3) Ensure that the data collectors and respondents understand that the survey questions are trying to capture the proportion of target group members who have experienced abuse from an intimate partner in the past 12 months. However, that partner may not be 1) the current partner or 2) even someone s/he has been with in the past 12 months. It can be any intimate partner the respondent had at any point in the course of her/his life who – despite not being together anymore - still abuses the respondent.

4) Measuring the prevalence of abusive behaviour is very sensitive and poses risks to the respondent as well as to the enumerator. Furthermore, the respondents might find it difficult or not be willing to report on the incidence of abusive behaviour. As a very minimum, adopt the following measures:

- ensure that the enumerators are familiar with and carry with them the Constant Companion listing 1) the main DOs and DON’Ts and 2) contacts for relevant service providers that can provide support to people who experienced violence (see example at the bottom of this page)

- discuss and agree with your team whether the data collectors should be allowed to ask an affected person whether they can inform the relevant service provider about her/his situation so that s/he can be contacted by them (i.e. thereby ensuring a referral)

- ensure that all enumerators were trained in the principles of gender-sensitive interviewing and are not from the same communities as the interviewees

- instruct the enumerators to ensure that the interviews are conducted in a place where no one else can hear or observe the respondent (if the enumerators cannot ensure complete privacy, they should skip this part and move to less sensitive parts of the questionnaire)

- instruct the enumerators to reassure the respondent about the confidentiality of her/his answers

- train the enumerators to quickly switch topic if during the interview someone comes too near the respondent

- train the enumerators in how to close the topic and move to the next part of your survey in a sensitive manner

- ensure that there is emotional support available to the enumerators