Global #inequalities2015 report launch

This ProgBlog article written by Alex Cobham of Save the Children, is part of the Wikiprogress post-2015 series. 

The global post-2015 consultation on inequality, led by UNICEF and UNWomen, delivered its report to the co-sponsors, Ghana and Denmark, in Copenhagen.

The meeting covered two days. The first included a livestreamed presentation of the report and a series of panels with the advisory group taking questions from the room and from around the world, on a series of panels which are being livestreamed – the opening presentations and the first panel can be accessed here.

Some highlights:

• There is broad support for a goal on inequality (including gender as well as economic inequality), and it is crucial that each goal contains disaggregated indicators and targets to capture the major dimensions of inequality also affecting ethnoliguistic groups, spatial groups and persons with disabilities.
• This demands a major investment in data, and an absolute end to the kind of approach that has seen some major households surveys exclude groups that are difficult to reach, or to reach with sufficient statistical rigor (persons with disabilities in particular).
• We should not, as Richard Morgan of UNICEF made very clear, get too hung up on goals, targets and indicators. The framework is not these – it is the Millennium Declaration. The importance of what we are now, globally, engaged in is that it will establish norms – goals etc can help with this, but are not the only components that matter.
• There is again, broad agreement, that the framework directly address the structural causes of inequalities – not least, globally, the transparency obstacles that facilitate the illicit financial flows that undermine both political governance and economic growth, and also prevent progressive distribution of the benefits of growth. (Which reminds me – here’s a handy new brief from TJN Germany on the importance of taxes for human rights.)
• Gender inequality is an absolute priority (there was a particularly powerful contribution from Kate McInturff on gender-based violence as ever-present, from the home to school or workplace and on the way, and a barrier to all other goals – from universal education to decent work, and so on).

The second day was the Leadership Meeting. Co-chaired by Michelle Bachelet of UNWomen, Tony Lake of UNICEF, Christian Friis Bach for Denmark and Paul Victor Obeng for Ghana, this brought together high-level participants from around the world, including ministers from Burkina Faso, Colombia, Finland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Tanzania and Uganda, a number of members of the High Level Panel on post-2015, and many international and development organisations from FAO to USAID.

After initial statements and the presentation of the consultation report by advisory group members, Sarah Cook of UNRISD and Jayati Ghosh of Jawaharlal Nehru University. In the discussion of the report that followed, there were a number of extremely powerful contributions that I can’t tell you too much about because this session was under Chatham House rules. However… there were a few striking features:

• Effectively no dissent from the proposal for a free-standing goal on inequality (except for the proposal that there be two!);
• Strong confirmation of the need for disaggregated targets and indicators across all other goals;
• Recognition of the need to invest in high-quality, consistently disaggregated data to make this work and to ensure accountability at local and national levels;
• Broad recognition of the importance of taxation, including from some of the more conservative as well as the more progressive discussants; and
• A clear demand for more research findings about success stories: the policies that have driven progress against inequality.

Finally, the co-chairs released their statement summarising their view on the discussion. It’s short, and well worth reading, so do! But here are some highlights (my emphasis):

Inequalities need to be tackled systematically and coherently, by addressing their structural causes, and through a new common and holistic development framework that is global in character and relevant to all countries…

In a new development framework, participants suggested that a self-standing goal to reduce inequalities could help ensure the political will necessary to do this. Targets aimed at universal access to basic services and resources, and ‘getting to zero’ – such as eradicating extreme poverty, hunger and preventable child and maternal deaths – are necessary to ensure that no one is left behind. Such targets could be reinforced by indicators that specifically measure progress in reducing disparities and that specifically track progress among the most impoverished, marginalised and excluded groups and individuals.

Inequalities are not a necessary consequence of, nor a precondition for economic growth, but a result of particular policies and structural conditions. Inequalities can therefore be reduced through targeted and transformative policies and actions, including the promotion of inclusive and intergenerational growth and decent work while simultaneously addressing the priority needs and rights of poor, vulnerable and marginalised people. Striving to reduce inequalities is not only right in principle; it is also right in practice.

The empowerment and advancement of women and girls is crucial… A new Post-2015 Development Agenda should therefore include not only a universal goal for gender equality and the empowerment and advancement of women and girls, but also ensure that gender and other dominant inequalities are mainstreamed in all relevant areas through disaggregated targets and indicators.

Promoting greater equality across sectors and policies, within countries and between countries must be an integral part of a future set of international development goals. Addressing inequalities both within and between countries will require fair and just rules and practices in international relations in areas including trade, finance, investment, taxation and corporate accountability.

Jayati has posted her thoughts on Guardian Development, and covers many important areas of the discussion and the future agenda.

I would only add that my immediate reflection on the inequalities consultation is optimistic. When the consultation started, I think there was quite a widely held view that a freestanding goal on inequality was politically impossible. (There’s a separate discussion to be had about whether a separate goal is needed, at least technically, if you have appropriate disaggregation throughout the framework; but for me, the importance of a goal lies above all in setting or confirming the norm that inequality is an obstacle to human development and to the achievement of rights.) Save the Children’s own ‘first draft’ proposal certainly reflected that calculation.

Now, however, it feels very much that things may have changed. As I argued in my remarks, the report didn’t only bring together important research but more importantly it reflected the results of participation and showed a clear political position.

For what it’s worth, my feeling now is that it would be very difficult for the High Level Panel to seek to exclude the idea of a free-standing inequality goal (and I’m delighted that Save UK has called on David Cameron to support this). Of course, the HLP is only one contribution to the process, and the subsequent intergovernmental negotiations are where things will stand or fall; but the HLP’s credibility as a reflection of the broad consultation would be seriously damaged now were it not to reflect the emerged consensus. It will also be interesting to see how structural, global policy issues are dealt with – above all, perhaps, around taxation.

In any case, there is now a powerful basis for civil society and others globally to mobilise around the treatment of inequality in the eventual post-2015 framework. (Can I mention that I feel quite proud of Save the Children for its contribution? Only one among many, but the organisation has really made great strides in developing its position over the last year, as seen in the Born Equal report which supports much of the consultation report.)

Last word on this: the consultation owes its success in very great part to the outstanding joint leadership of Saraswathi Menon of UNWomen and Richard Morgan of UNICEF, and they deserve enormous praise. Thank you both!

Alex Cobham

This article was first published on Uncounted, 18 February 2013 - This blog is about inequality and development and those who are uncounted. It is written and maintained by Alex Cobham, Save the Children's Head of Research. Uncounted aims to stimulate debate but is not a reflection of official Save the Children policy

The OECD Global Forum on Development (GFD) is currently running an online consultation* entitled “Reducing poverty is achievable: Finding those who are hidden by inequalities” on the Wikiprogress platform. You can post a comment in a few clicks by going to the “Contribute!” section of the online consultation page, make sure your voice is heard. 

@Wikiprogress @Wikigender @Wiki_child

International Women's Day: a message for career women

To celebrate International Women's Day, this progblog is brought to you by Shailaja Chandra. 

As we celebrate International Women's Day, let us remember those who had a hand in making us the women we are today. It is time to give credit to one's parents, siblings, husbands, bosses and colleagues who made that possible.

Today I salute my parents for investing in me as a child. For spending money on sending me to wonderful boarding school Tara Hall in Simla. I thank them for having faith in me and investing in my education without considering the cost or the outcomes. It never struck them to think that they could be watering a neighbour's garden.

I thank my mother for pulling me off the stage as a budding actress in Miranda House and forcing me to confront the final examination or third division marks. I thank her for standing steadfast through my worst tantrums and sulks as I resented losing name and fame. How difficult it must have been for her as a single parent, recently widowed and having to cope with her own challenging job in a central Ministry. Her conviction and courage changed my life but little did I know it then.

I thank my brother for daring me to appear for the civil services without which I would have taken the soft line of earning good money for myself while not doing anything meaningful for society.

I thank at least 6 of the 16 bosses I have worked under - for having faith enough to give me difficult assignments in a man's world; for navigating me through difficult times- A Central minister who chose to do the ministry's most important work nearing midnight and another who sent me packing to "find a way". I remember a state chief minister who branded me as "that woman" for daring to stand in the way of approving illegalities.

Through all this I specially remember three unusual bosses in the ministries of defence, power and health. In the seventies and eighties, it was unusual to find male bosses with a liberal mind and progressive ideas. I did and I recognise now how special they were. Equally I remember three male politicians who made no distinction in their approach towards men and women officers, who appreciated candour during discussion and conviction on file.

It is impossible not to compare them to scores of other bosses and colleagues (mostly civil servants) who used every opportunity to pass hurtful remarks attributing success from perseverance to nothing but good articulation of English or worse, to pretty ensembles. I still recall a Cabinet secretary whom I met to apprise him of patent injustice only to be told, "All women are cuckoo." Or a Union secretary who said, "Ambitious women are the worst."

Three times in my career I became embroiled alternately with lawyers, activists, doctors, and even the state Lok Ayukta - all men. I had to fight those battles alone as no one was willing to listen. I hated myself because anger invariably brought tears to my eyes which were immediately seen as a sign of weakness. I hated all the pity coming from a host of onlookers who hardly cared but quite enjoyed the spectacle of an upright, outspoken officer getting buffeted by the system. Nothing came of all the ploys my detractors used to derail my career, but the experience left me devastated. Today I do not recall the pangs of what I had to go through as much as I recall the pain of being a woman.

How humiliated I felt when no one took me seriously. How every man I met wanted a good story but was not prepared to do anything about it - almost presuming that this was the outcome of some womanly overreach. How much I tried to convince my direct bosses - all male - to please examine the facts and intercede. I kicked myself then for being a woman. For being unable to find even one sympathetic ear because I had failed to network with the boys over golf and drinks. Every man I knew of who had faced similar situations had managed to extricate himself. Why did I have to wait for years for the Delhi High Court to find no truth in the allegations? Because as a woman I did not have the contacts and connections needed to pull me out?

The anguish of being pitied hurt the most. "Poor woman" was a comment I could not bear.

And through all this who stood by me the most? My husband. Never once did he chide me for returning late from office day after day. Whenever opportunities arose and there were several - he always encouraged me to travel. He told me never to worry about the children. We had brought them up to be independent and everything would be fine. When I was posted outside Delhi, he looked after three children, the youngest being just eight, without making it sound like a burden. I recall his wisdom and clarity of thinking whenever I was struck by doubts in the office or at home. Most of all he gave me the freedom to invest in my own career without promoting his. If every husband were to do that much for a career wife, every woman would gather the courage to stay on track without enduring pangs of guilt.

Last but not least, on International Women's Day I must remember all the women I have worked with. Women subordinates and office staff-for showing incredible patience, good humour and infinite trust in my ability. To my women friends, some of whom have stayed friends for over 40 years - for sharing the ups and downs, the turmoil of facing teenage rebellion, domestic upheavals, illnesses, death and more. All the things that needed empathy not sympathy, certainly not solutions. Just an intelligent mind and a patient ear. That is what my women friends did for me-something no one else- not even family could do so well.

I have mixed feelings about women bosses because I too have been one and I know what it is to wear the pants in a man's world. Undoubtedly women bosses are exacting and impatient. Often it is because instinctively their mind races forward anticipating hurdles long before they occur. But ironically this natural perspicacity far from being seen as a God given gift becomes a blight. Exasperation with incompetence results in sharp words but coming from a woman boss they are hard to swallow. That is why women chiefs seldom command admiration even if they command respect. And yet women bosses are much more capable of burning down hierarchical structures and showing genuine warmth and compassion - emotions most men are incapable of showing leave alone voicing.

If I had to give a message to women still striving to come up - particularly in the civil services but equally in any career, my advice would be: first, invest in stable domestic arrangements. Combative men are waiting for you to make excuses to leave early, take casual leave and decline coming to the office on weekends. Remember all important decisions are taken after 7 PM. If you aren't there, you aren't there.

Second, early in your career let your husband or partner know that putting your career before him or the family does not mean you love them less. Your success is what will make them proud of you. Your children will learn to respect their wives and daughters more. They will accept responsibility and learn to stand on their own if they see their mother enjoying her success.

Third, if a woman underperforms she is much more likely to fall off the ladder of success than a man. But that failure will not only make her a loser in her own eyes but in the eyes of the entire family too. It is better therefore to run the extra mile and be prepared for occasional huffs and jibes from colleagues. As the bottleneck narrows there are no friends- only rivals.

Parting words to husbands, in-laws and parents: help her to push her career because in the ultimate analysis her happiness will add to your happiness. A woman should be supported to pursue a well-planned career - not just a job that brings money. Encourage her to make difficult choices. Help her to excel in what she does. Excuses are what people expect. Steadfastness is what people do not expect. Give her the space and freedom to do things really well. Because that is what will make the difference between her aspirations and her achievements.

And celebrate International Women's Day!

Shailaja Chandra is a former civil servant in India; she was also a permanent Secretary in the Government of India and the first woman Chief Secretary of  Delhi.

Measuring development post-2015: highlighting the poorest of the poor

This ProgBlog article written by Sabina Alkire, Director of the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), is part of the Wikiprogress post-2015 series. 

We saw the culmination of the Global Thematic Consultation on Addressing Inequalities in the Post-2015 Development Agenda, led by UNICEF and UN Women with support from the governments of Denmark and Ghana.

One of the recommendations put forward in the consultation’s Synthesis Report is that better data systems should be developed at country level that can describe and monitor changes in the circumstances of different population groups.

‘One important tool in strengthening these systems is a Multidimensional Poverty Index, which shows the deprivations a household (or child) experiences simultaneously, highlighting the poorest of the poor as those experiencing a large set of simultaneous deprivations at the same time,’ the report states.

‘This approach not only highlights changes in multidimensional poverty but also illustrates trends in social exclusion and marginalization.’

Also, Andy Sumner and I published a briefing in which we call for a new ‘headline’ measure of multidimensional poverty to be considered for the post-2015 MDGs; a measure that reflects participatory inputs (including new dimensions), can be easily disaggregated, and that we believe could serve the purpose set out in the Inequalities Consultation report.

A global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) 2.0 – building on the MPI reported in theHuman Development Reports for over 100 developing countries since 2010 – could provide an intuitive overview of multidimensional poverty to complement a $1.25/day measure and indicators on individual goals such as health or education.

Such a measure could enable policymakers to see at a glance whether and how multidimensional poverty was being reduced across states, for example, or different social groups; it could be quickly and easily disaggregated to show which overlapping disadvantages are faced by agricultural labourers, or by families with small children in different geographical regions.

The MPI reported in UNDP’s Human Development Report is based on ten indicators of health, education and living standards, and shows both the incidence and intensity of poverty. It measures deprivations directly, and shows in which regions or among which groups poverty is being reduced, and how that reduction is being achieved; for example, that a particular group has moved out of poverty thanks to an improvement in its access to education or safe water and electricity.

For the post-2015 context, an MPI 2.0 could be created with dimensions, indicators and cutoffs that reflect the post-2015 development agenda. The process of selecting the indicators and cutoffs should be participatory, and the voices of the poor and the marginalised should drive decisions. A “child MPI” could also be created to measure multidimensional poverty among children, using the same methodology.

In addition, governments or civil society organisations can create their own national MPIs with indicators, cutoffs and values that reflect their national plan or goals, complementing and enriching a global MPI 2.0. Such measures are already in use – for example, by the Government of Colombia.

An MPI 2.0 could reflect effective social policy interventions immediately, thereby acting as a monitoring and evaluation tool. In doing so, it would provide political incentives to policymakers not only to implement effective interventions, but to reduce the many different aspects of poverty together. A disaggregated MPI could also be used alongside geographic data to give an overview of the nexus between poverty and sustainability challenges.

Andy and I suggest that an easy to understand and disaggregate measure that clearly shows the inequalities between those living in poverty, in terms of the number and type of interconnected deprivations they face, provides an essential complement to income measures and individual goals for policymakers, by enabling them to see quickly and easily what is happening ‘beneath the averages’. We hope to discuss this further with all sides and see what kind of MPI 2.0 could be truly useful.

To close with a quote from the Global Thematic Consultation on Addressing InequalitiesSynthesis Report:

‘Whatever the methodologies to be used, it is important to gain a deeper understanding of the intersecting and multidimensional nature of prevailing inequalities, such that the use of “simple” or proxy indicators does not serve to distract policy attention from the inherent complexities, or from the need for comprehensive, multi-sectoral policy responses.’

Sabina Alkire is Director of the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI).

This post is based on the OPHI briefing ‘Multidimensional Poverty and the Post-2015 MDGs’, by Sabina Alkire and Andy Sumner of King’s College London. It first appeared on The University of Oxford's Debating Development Blog on February 21st, 2013.

The OECD Global Forum on Development (GFD) is currently running an online consultation* entitled “Reducing poverty is achievable: Finding those who are hidden by inequalities” on the Wikiprogress platform. You can post a comment in a few clicks by going to the “Contribute!” section of the online consultation page, so if you have an opinion, make sure your voice is heard. 

We look forward to hearing what you have to say,

The Wikiprogress Team

@Wikiprogress @Wikigender @Wiki_child

Finding those who are hidden by inequalities

This ProgBlog invitation is part of the Wikiprogress post-2015 series.  

Wikiprogress and partners the OECD, Paris21, Save the Children, ODI's Development Progress, the Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative (OPHI), UNICEF, Jeune Afrique, The Africa Report, the European Report on Development, Wikigender, Wikichild and the Global  Progress Research Network (GPRNet) invite you to participate in an online consultation:

REDUCING POVERTY IS ACHIEVABLE


FINDING THOSE WHO ARE HIDDEN BY INEQUALITIES

OPEN FROM WEDNESDAY 6 MARCH UNTIL FRIDAY 15 MARCH.

The OECD Global Forum on Development (GFD) will be convened on 4-5 April 2013, with discussions by renowned experts and leading policy-makers focusing on the global development agenda beyond 2015. The Wikiprogress community and partners are holding a public consultation on this topic from 6-15 March. The outcomes will be presented at the OECD GFD.

You are invited to share your stories and/or solutions for:

People who are, have been or might be hidden from economic growth

People who are, have been or might be hidden from social programmes

People who are, have been or might be hidden from statistics

and what this means for the well-being of societies.

We will focus the discussion on the individuals, families, communities and societies that have been hidden by social and economic inequalities and bring to light the stories of successful programmes, policies and methodologies which have made a difference in people’s lives. This online consultation is an opportunity to include a broad range of perspectives ahead of the forum.

We count on your participation in this important discussion and look forward to reading your comments.

You can post a comment in a few clicks by going to the “Contribute!” section of the online consultation page. Here is the shortened link to the discussion page http://bit.ly/13pzJi1 and the hashtag for Twitter is #OECDgfd.

To find out more about the questions asked and how to participate, please click here.

The Wikiprogress Team

Children and the Post 2015 Agenda

As part of the Wikiprogress post-2015 series, this ProgBlog article by Robbie Lawrence provides an overview of the issues that children are still facing around the world, despite of the progress made by the Millennium Development Goals.

  

 “We stress our commitment to create a world fit for children, in which sustainable human development, taking into account the best interests of the child, is founded on principles of democracy, equality, non- discrimination, peace and social justice and the universality, indivisibility, interdependence and interrelatedness of all human rights, including the right to development.” 
United Nations Millennium Declaration (para 2), UN General Assembly, 2000.

During the last ten years, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) have catalyzed considerable development in child well-being globally. The overarching vision of cutting the amount of extreme poverty worldwide by half by 2015, anchored in a series of specific goals, has received wide acclaim from governments and global organizations. In the last decade, the number of people suffering from extreme poverty fell from almost 2 billion to less than 1.3 billion, child mortality dropped to 6.9 million (it was 12 million in 1990) and huge improvements were made in school enrolment.

While progress has been made and aspects of the goals have been achieved, questions continue to be raised regarding the accuracy of positive praise for the MDGs. The subject of inequality for example, has become a centerpiece of the MDG skeptic’s argument, since positive poverty statistics have failed to address the unerring reality that striking imbalances between rich and poor, urban and rural areas, men and women and ethnic groups still remain.  

Over the course of the next month, Wikichild will post articles on three child related issues which policy makers and organizations have identified as a priority for the post-2015 agenda, namely: 

1. inequality
2. education and 
3. violence against children (particularly girls). 

There is already an extensive international debate on how the framework should take shape. Duncan Green, Oxfam’s Senior Strategic Adviser, has described the discussion as a veritable ‘Christmas tree’, decorated with a vast array of demands from a wide collection of NGOs that are together highly unachievable. Green’s own recommended strategy veers openly from the central stream of opinion, demanding data transparency and global league tables that expose those countries that fail to meet the requirements of the framework. Such pragmatic requests should certainly be considered alongside the overarching and potentially more abstract mandates that will make up the post-2015 document, and while we at Wikichild have chosen a number of specific topics to consider, they are by no means the only issues up for discussion.

Inequality

Following the release of Save the Children's Born Equal and vision for post-2015 reports, and the recent consultation led by UNICEF and UNWomen, the issue of inequality has become a central element in the discussion for a new framework. The problem of inequality is transcendent throughout the world and it seems paramount that while focus is still applied to the current MDGs, the next generation of these goals must accurately pursue global equity with their results reported transparently. Only by shifting attention to those who have not benefited from the MDG program will its aims be fully achieved.

Education

On the 5^th of December 2012, the UN Special Envoy for Global Education, Gordon Brown launched a public event at the Brookings Centre for Universal Education that examined the progress made by the education-related MDGs. Speaking passionately about the recent shooting of Malala Yousafazi who was targeted for her support of girl’s education and the launch of Education First, Brown emphasized the need for greater coordination amongst the development community to reach the remaining 61 million children currently out of school and put pressure on the Post 2015 agenda to make education a top priority. Given the fast growing global youth population, the necessity to equip this group with the tools to gain vital skills for building prosperous, healthy and equitable societies is more pressing than ever, particularly when considering to the current state of the world’s economy.

Violence Against Children

Only yesterday, at the 57th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York, Michelle Bachelet stated:

 "Ending violence against women and girls is the missing Millennium Development Goal."

Whether it is systemised rape as a weapon of war, trafficking, forced and early marriages, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), sexual abuse in school and at work or domestic abuse, violence against children, particularly girls, has been a topic of intense discussion lately. Following the recent surge of campaigns including 1 Billion Rising and Girl Rising, there has been a collective demand for the widespread problem to be addressed.

In line with past online discussions, including last month’s Transforming social norms to prevent violence against women and girls, Wikigender and Wikichild will collaborate to host an online discussion in May on adolescent girls and social norms, which will include featured topics such as missing women and female genital mutilation. It is our hope that the reports synthesized from these discussions will add to the growing pressure on policy makers to address the issue of violence against children. If this problem is not dealt with, then progress towards equality, development and peace cannot be achieved. 

We at Wikichild hope you will find the articles relating to each of these topics informative and insightful. It is important to mention that the The OECD Global Forum on Development (GFD) is organising an online consultation* entitled “Reducing poverty is achievable: Finding those who are hidden by inequalities” on the Wikiprogress platform. Starting tomorrow, on Wednesday 6 March, you can post a comment in a few clicks by going to the “Contribute!” section of the online consultation page, so if you have an opinion, make sure your voice is heard. 

Robbie Lawrence 

Wikichild Coordinator 

@Wiki_child

What can the Social Institutions and Gender Index tell us about violence against women?

As part of the Wikiprogresson Gender Equality series, this progblog is brought to you by Somali Cerise.

Violence against women has been at the top of the media agenda in recent months following the shooting of a schoolgirl in Pakistan, an attack of a 22 year old woman in Delhi and a gang-rape and murder of a young woman in South Africa. The widespread protests that have followed these incidents show that governments must step up their efforts to stop violence against women and girls. The question is how?

A major challenge for developing effective policies to reduce violence against women is the lack of data and evidence about the nature of the problem and it implications. The OECD Development Centre latest Issues Paper, Transforming social institutions to prevent violence against women and girls, uses data from the Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) to shed light on several dimensions of violence against women.

What do we know?  

First, laws are getting better, but we still have some way to go. The SIGI data for 2009 and 2012 shows that all regions have improved laws, however no country or region has a perfect score, indicating that some gaps in protection remain and the implementation of laws remains a challenge. In 2012, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region had the worst level of legal protection against violence against women, also showing the least improvement from 2009. Sub-Saharan Africa was in a similar position to MENA in 2009 but has shown greater improvement, although the region remained the second lowest ranked in 2012 after MENA. Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) and East Asia and the Pacific (EAP) regions had the best scores for 2012, with EAP showing a marked improvement from 2009 to 2012.

Second, while better laws are an important step, laws alone will not reduce violence against women. Attitudes that normalize violence are deeply entrenched. On average, 60% of women in the MENA region believe that domestic violence is justified in certain circumstances. Moreover, the SIGI data shows that discriminatory attitudes are significantly related to the prevalence of domestic violence. There is a prevalence of domestic violence in countries where there is a high acceptance of domestic violence .

The relationship remains strong and significant even when taking into account the existence and quality of domestic violence laws and country income level. While laws are a necessary first step and foundation for combating violence against women, a greater focus on attitudes is needed to achieve a change in the level of violence.

Third, violence against women matters for development outcomes. The SIGI data shows that adolescent girls are twice as likely to be infected with HIV in countries where there is no domestic violence law (Figure 5) compared to similar rates in countries where there is a specific law. Further, we can see a positive and significant relationship between women’s physical integrity and child mortality. Countries with high levels of restrictions on women’s physical integrity also have high levels of infant mortality, even when controlling for factors including the fertility rate and country income level. This indicates that addressing violence against women is important for development.

So what can be done?

Governments should introduce a combination of measures including the implementation and enforcement of strong laws, public awareness, community mobilisation programmes, economic support for women and incentives. Check out the issues paper for some interesting examples. There is also a need for greater investment in evaluations to learn what works to prevent violence and in better data so that we have a better grasp of the problem.

*Don’t miss the Wikiprogress February 2013 eBrief, with a special focus on gender equality,  profiling articles, publications, blogs and much more on the subject.