Violence against women is a global public health, gender equality and human rights priority. Data are key to informed action – critical for understanding the magnitude of the problem, informing policies and programmes, advocating for change, and monitoring progress. WHO plays a leading role in strengthening collection, analysis, and use of violence against women data globally.

Since 2013, an increasing number of countries have made concrete investments to prevent and respond to violence against women. There is growing recognition of the importance of quality, comparable data capturing how woman and girls experience violence. The 5-year UN Women – WHO Joint Programme on Violence Against Women Data is working to strengthen collection, measurement, analysis, reporting and use of data across the world.

The ultimate goal of evidence and data is to inform responsive policies, programmes and tools. VAW data helps to inform WHO’s work around strengthening health sector responses, including in humanitarian settings.