Panel at the XXV International Meeting on Gender Statistics Discusses Challenges in the Measurement of gender-based violence

On September 3, a panel was held as part of the XXV International Meeting on Gender Statistics, organized by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the National Institute of Statistics and Geography of Mexico (INEGI), the National Institute for Women (INMUJERES) and UN Women. The main objective of this session was to exchange experiences and address the challenges related to the measurement of gender-based violence, with a view to developing more accurate and effective public policies from a gender perspective.

Moderated by Lilibeth Cárdenas, Vice-Minister of the Ministry of Women of Panama, the panel featured outstanding presentations that enriched the debate. Martha Delia Leiva, Manager of Social and Demographic Statistics of the National Institute of Statistics (INE) of Honduras, presented on the good practices and challenges of the National Specialized Survey on Violence against Women and Girls (ENESVMN). Carol Watson, social policy analyst and researcher at reThink Social Development in Jamaica, gave a virtual presentation on the guidelines for data management on violence against women and girls in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). Evelin Elizabeth Ovalle, advisor to the Gender Unit of the National Institute of Statistics (INE) of Guatemala, provided a detailed overview of the indicators of the Household Quality and Welfare Survey, 2023.

During the panel, Teresa Guerra, Coordinator of UN Women’s Global Center of Excellence on Gender Statistics (CEEG), presented the Statistical framework for measuring the gender-related killing of women and girls. This framework provides a statistical definition of gender-related killing of women and girls, also known as femicide/feminicide, and seeks to harmonize and improve the collection and analysis of data on this phenomenon. The framework is currently being piloted in some countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Afterwards, Adriana Oropeza, Coordinator of the UNODC-INEGI Center of Excellence for Statistical Information on Government, Public Security, Victimization and Justice, presented the preliminary results of the pilot in Ecuador and the Dominican Republic. She discussed the progress in the implementation of the framework, its characteristics and scope, and provided an overview of the progress achieved. The first phase of the pilot included visits to key institutions, such as the National Police, the Forensic Science Institutes, the Attorney General’s Office and the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, among others, to assess how the variables collected are aligned with the framework. Also, practices that facilitate the implementation of the framework were discussed and variables not yet systematized in the participating countries were identified.

This panel represented a step forward in improving the collection and analysis of data on gender-related killings of women, supporting the development of more effective public policies based on a comprehensive perspective.