The kNOwVAWdata initiative

The kNOwVAWdata initiative supports countries around the world in conducting safe and ethical research on the prevalence of violence against women, and supports the interpretation and use of this key data by decision-makers, practitioners and policymakers. It was launched by UNFPA and partners in 2016 and expanded in 2020.

Nearly 1 in 3 women – an estimated 840 million globally – have experienced partner or sexual violence during their lifetime, a figure that has barely changed since 2000, according to a landmark report released in November 2025 by the World Health Organization and UN partners, including UNFPA. Violence against women remains one of the world’s most persistent and under-addressed human rights crises.

Violence against women – a human rights violation

Violence against women is a manifestation of persistent, deep-rooted gender inequalities. A violation of human rights, it seriously inhibits women’s ability to enjoy rights and freedoms on an equal basis with men. Be it physical, sexual or psychological, such violence is a symptom of women’s subordinate status and has serious consequences. It is a global public health crisis.

Reliable, comparable data on the proportion of women who experience different forms of violence are critical to informing and monitoring the effectiveness of actions to stop violence against women.

To that end, UNFPA, in partnership with the Australian Government, launched the kNOwVAWdata initiative in 2016 to provide technical support and capacity building to enable countries across the Asia and Pacific region to undertake studies on the prevalence of violence against women. Since 2020, the initiative, with the continued support of UNFPA and investment from the EU through the Spotlight Initiative, has expanded across regions including Africa, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Middle East.

In each of these regions, the kNOwVAWdata course – a curriculum developed by UNFPA and the University of Melbourne to help countries build capacity to measure prevalence of violence against women and to improve data literacy – is being translated, contextualized and adapted to reflect local realities for women. The initiative has been expanded with the support of partners including the American University of Central Asia and the American University in Cairo.

Highlights of the kNOwVAWdata course

Develops the skills of practitioners to understand and measure violence against women.
Integrates coursework with hands-on, practical learning experiences.
In addition to being available to practitioners, the course is embedded in post-graduate programmes at the University of Melbourne, with more potential institutions to come.
Supplements training with mentoring to ensure participants are supported beyond the course itself.

Click on one section to learn more about it

The global call for data

The adoption of Target 5.2 of the Sustainable Development Goals has given rise to a growing call for reliable and comparable data on violence against women.

Sustainable Development Goal 5: “Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.”

Target 5.2: “Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation.”

Indicator 5.2.1: “Proportion of ever-partnered women and girls aged 15 years and older subjected to physical, sexual or psychological violence by a current or former intimate partner in the previous 12 months, by form of violence and by age.”
Indicator 5.2.2: “Proportion of women and girls aged 15 years and older subjected to sexual violence by persons other than an intimate partner in the previous 12 months, by age and place of occurrence.”

Yet, the capacity to collect and analyze such data safely and ethically is falling short of demand, limiting evidence-based policies and programmes and the monitoring of efforts.

Impact of high-quality data on violence against women

Countries with ethically collected, reliable national and sub-national data have actionable evidence to understand the specifics of violence against women in a given context and to design targeted interventions.

The studies on prevalence of violence against women in different regions of the world have resulted in concrete legislative changes, including the development of family protection acts – which have changed the definition of violence in those countries. The data also establish baselines from which countries can monitor change over time, including their progress towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 5 and ending violence against women.

Key features of the kNOwVAWdata initiative

High-quality technical assistance on national data collection and use: Supporting countries to conduct, analyze and use surveys on violence against women in an ethical way, keeping interviewees safe and their personal information confidential.
Capacity building for conducting national studies: Boosting the capacity of national statistical systems, civil society and researchers to conduct, analyze and effectively use data on the prevalence of violence against women through training online and in person.
Sustainability as part of a long-term vision: Ensuring local ownership and sustainability of the kNOwVAWdata course through partnerships with regional institutions and other initiatives.
Sharing knowledge: Providing information through kNOwVAWdata’s website and building a community of professionals committed to ending violence against women by using data to advocate for prevention and response.

SDG Indicator 5.2.1 intimate partner violence

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Intimate Partner Violence National Level (%)

<3 3-12 12-22 22-33 >33

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Leaders and Advocates

Funding and impact

The kNOwVAWdata initiative