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In addition to these international and regional frameworks which are focused more generally on violence against women and girls, it is also useful to understand relevant frameworks that address specific forms of violence.

For example, if a programme focuses on violence in the workplace, it is important to have a good understanding of the International Labour Organization’s Violence and Harassment Convention (No. 190) and its accompanying Recommendation (No. 206).

Likewise, programming on violence against women migrant workers could explore the relevant frameworks on labour migration…

International and regional frameworks establish norms, guidelines and legal obligations for countries to protect women and girls from violence. By understanding the frameworks focused on gender equality and ending VAWG, programmes can understand which frameworks a country is signatory to, analyse the degree of alignment as well as analyse gaps in national laws, policies and practices that may need advocacy efforts. Read more on how to analyse the national policy, legal and institutional environment.

Some of the most significant international frameworks that increase the protection standards…

Safeguarding processes must be established for any participating children, young girls or adolescents under 18 years old to protect them from any potential harm, including sexual exploitation, abuse, or sexual harassment (SEAH) during the data collection process. In many cases, this may include obtaining consent from a parent/carer/guardian/responsible adult (verbal or written agreement for the child to participate in research or M&E) on their behalf – although there may be circumstances where this is not appropriate or safe. Children must also be given the opportunity to provide age…

Research on individual GBV experiences should only be conducted by trained research staff or partners who specialise in GBV to ensure the wellbeing of participants especially as women and girls may feel vulnerable while disclosing difficult and painful experiences. All data collection teams should be carefully selected, include female members, and receive relevant and sufficient specialised training. Training on research methods and tools, ethical principles, privacy, confidentiality, informed consent, safeguarding measures, and direct support to respond to disclosures made by participants…

When conducting research about VAWG, there is always a risk that a research participant might suffer distress when discussing their or others’ experiences of violence. Participants may also ask for further support. It is, therefore, the researchers’ ethical obligation to provide information about services available to all research participants regardless of whether they report experiencing violence. Before undertaking data collection, research teams need to map locally available referral services providing basic care (physical and psychosocial), support and information (formal and/or informal)…

Ethical approval is not required for routine data collection activities such as gender analysis or collecting programme monitoring data that does not involve personal information. However, research that asks survivors or at-risk populations about their experiences of violence or other sensitive information - through focus groups, key informant interviews, or even anonymised quantitative surveys that gather data on GBV experiences and attitudes - will typically need to obtain ethical clearance from the appropriate Institutional Review Boards (IRBs).

IRBs review the risks associated with the…

The WHO guidelines state that researchers have an ethical responsibility to ensure scientific soundness and appropriateness to the context and population.

In the case of research to measure the prevalence, causes and consequences of a specific type of VAWG, this will involve selecting an appropriate sample size and, usually, using complementary qualitative data collection to help interpret results.  
In terms of intervention research and evaluation, the appropriate data collection methods will depend on the maturity of the intervention (e.g. is it a pilot or proven intervention) and the…

Any potential risks (physical, emotional and social) to participants, practitioners, and the wider community should be identified and mitigated at the outset to limit possible harm and maximise possible benefits. When collecting data as part of VAWG interventions, this includes minimising the effects of power hierarchies. For example, in many situations, healthcare providers, teachers or traditional leaders are often viewed with great respect and authority, so it is important to put in place measures to mitigate potential risks, such as safe and private interview settings, or anonymous and…

Participants’ data should always remain anonymous and protected – an important issue given the sensitive nature of information relating to violence and abuse. Secure and ethical data storage involves implementing robust encryption methods, access controls and regular audits to prevent unauthorised access and breaches. Confidential information must be stored securely with electronic data/soft copies password-protected and encrypted (such as on GBVIMS and Primero/GBVIMS+ incident monitoring and case management information systems) or hard copies in locked locations. With the rise of AI and…

Any VAWG programme which involves working with women and girls and collecting data about their experiences of violence must be done in a safe and ethical manner by taking a Do No Harm approach. The main ethical concern when collecting data on VAWG is the risk of harm to respondents, such as potential retaliation from a partner if their participation in the study is discovered. When collecting data, participants should have the right to decide if they want to disclose occurrences of violence and to determine whether, how, where and when specific information is shared. This includes victims and…