International Violence Against Women Survey (IVAWS)

1. International Violence Against Women Survey (IVAWS) Sami Nevala European Institute for Crime Prevention and Control, affiliated with the United Nations (HEUNI) Helsinki, Finland Work Session on Gender Statistics, Geneva, 18–20 October 2004

2. International Project Team Anna Alvazzi del Frate (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime) Holly Johnson (Statistics Canada / Australian Institute of Criminology) Natalia Ollus (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Regional Office for Southern Africa) Sami Nevala, project manager (HEUNI) Work Session on Gender Statistics, Geneva, 18–20 October 2004

3. International mandate • studying “the causes and consequences of violence against women and the effectiveness of preventive measures” • Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, Fourth United Nations World Conference on Women, Beijing 1995 • “to develop crime surveys on the nature of violence against women” • Resolution on “Elimination of Violence against Women”, Sixth Session, United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, 1997 Work Session on Gender Statistics, Geneva, 18–20 October 2004

4. Problems for comparison National violence against women surveys have: • different definitions • differences in cultural and social factors • different methods of data collection • differences in sampling Work Session on Gender Statistics, Geneva, 18–20 October 2004

5. Objectives of IVAWS • Collect cross-cultural, comparable data on prevalence, incidence of violence against women, consequences and characteristics of violence. • Use the results to develop criminal justice policies, crime prevention, police responses and legislation. • Raise awareness on violence against women Work Session on Gender Statistics, Geneva, 18–20 October 2004

6. The participating countries • Australia • Costa Rica • the Czech Republic • Denmark • Greece • Italy • Mozambique • the Philippines • Poland • Switzerland Work Session on Gender Statistics, Geneva, 18–20 October 2004

7. Background • International Crime Victim Survey (ICVS, 1989->) • Fifth sweep of the survey in 2004 • Since beginning, implemented in over 70 countries • National violence against women surveys (Canada 1993, USA 1995-96, New Zealand 1996, Australia 1996, Finland 1997, Lithuania 1998, Sweden 2001) Work Session on Gender Statistics, Geneva, 18–20 October 2004

8. Structure of the questionnaire • Control form • Marital status and respondent characteristics • Experience of violence • Non-partner victimisation report • Partner victimisation report • Characteristics of violent previous partner • Characteristics of current intimate partner • Optional: Mother abuse history and childhood victimisation • Income & conclusion Work Session on Gender Statistics, Geneva, 18–20 October 2004

9. 1 Threatened to hurt you physically? 2 Threw something at you or hit you with something that hurt or frightened you? 3 Pushed or grabbed you or twisted your arm or pulled your hair in a way that really hurt or scared you? 4 Slapped, kicked, bit, or hit you with a fist? 5 Strangled, tried to suffocate you, burned or scalded you on purpose? 6 Used or threatened to use a knife or gun on you? 7 Other physical violence? Physical violence, 7 items Work Session on Gender Statistics, Geneva, 18–20 October 2004

10. 8 Forced you into sexual intercourse? 9 Attempted to force you into sexual intercourse? 10 Touched you sexually against your will? 11 Forced you into sexual activity with someone else? 12 Other sexual violence? Sexual violence, 5 items Work Session on Gender Statistics, Geneva, 18–20 October 2004

11. Victimisation report • where did it occur, guns involved, dangerousness of the incident • injuries, coping, emotional effects of violence • use of services, talking to any other people • reporting to police, reasons for not reporting, court process, satisfaction with the police Work Session on Gender Statistics, Geneva, 18–20 October 2004

12. So far… • Start of the project in 1997 • First draft of the questionnaire, development of project documents, pre-pilot in Estonia (2000), search for national coordinators • Expert meetings in Vancouver (2001) and Turin (2002) -> Questionnaire and project manual ready for use Work Session on Gender Statistics, Geneva, 18–20 October 2004

13. So far… • Five countries have completed the fieldwork and are proceeding with national data analysis • Five other countries are conducting the interviews during the 1st–3rd quarters of 2004 • Questionnaire and Project manual are available for new countries Work Session on Gender Statistics, Geneva, 18–20 October 2004

14. So far… • First country report released in October 2004 • Available at www.aic.gov.au ->Publications ->Research and public policy series, No. 56 Work Session on Gender Statistics, Geneva, 18–20 October 2004

15. Work Session on Gender Statistics, Geneva, 18–20 October 2004

16. Future developments • Ancillary meeting on IVAWS at the 11th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Control in Bangkok, 18–25 April 2005 • Results of a comparative analysis • International seminar Work Session on Gender Statistics, Geneva, 18–20 October 2004