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HOLD ON A MINUTE Episode 10: Measuring violence against women [transcript]
HOST - INTERVIEW – EXPERT TALK
00:00:00:00
HOST
It is clear that information is crucial for change. So in our episode today, I'm so excited to talk with Ariunbold, Jessica and Oyun about their work on the field and how important it is to have information to ensure that there is a more improvement in gender based violence situations around the world. So without further ado, I'd like to greet all of my guests today. I feel so excited because usually I talk to one or two people, but today I have three people with me. Hello, everyone.
00:00:40:05
HOST
Now the topic that we have at hand today is definitely a very serious one. And I think it's very important because as what we've mentioned before, information is key for change and it's proof that there needs to be certain actions taken and can also help with the way that we approach challenges.
00:01:01:18
HOST
When we take a look at data, why data is important for gender based violence and can I ask perhaps, maybe, Jessica, in terms of why this is so important?
00:01:15:12
JESSICA
Thanks Poupee. Hi, everyone. Data and statistics are an incredibly important piece of evidence to show us what is happening for people in terms of their experiences of gender based violence.
00:01:32:00
JESSICA
And in this case, violence against women. And if we think about the most common form of violence against women, which is intimate partner violence, much of that has been taboo, a taboo topic. People don't talk about it. It happens behind closed doors. It's a very stigmatized issue. And for that reason, we don't really know what's going on in people's lives unless we ask them purposefully in a survey.
00:02:03:00
JESSICA
We can't tell from police records or health records or the number of hotline calls what is happening to people, because many will never talk about it to anyone else. So data and statistics really sheds light on this terrible issue so we can do something about it.
00:02:22:06
HOST
One of the biggest steps that has been taken is the National Statistical Office preparing this survey that we've been mentioning on our podcast and, Ariunbold, why did the NSO undertake this survey?
00:02:35:18
ARIUNBOLD
Okay. Thank you for your questions. So because it's our reputation and what your organization is in that country. So we have a good, very good experience, especially for the nationwide last set of surveys. That's then maybe one reason to and that is that you also have maybe some good structure. Also we have 21 provinces.
00:03:08:01
ARIUNBOLD
Additionally, 19 states, we have the local branch. We can have some capacity for we have a good capacity for organizing this kind of survey.
00:03:21:06
HOST
And Oyun, would you like to add anything to your work that has been occurring?
00:03:27:05
OYUN
Thank you. Sure Poupee. It's a former UNFPA staff and who was really closely involved within the context of this survey. You want to reiterate what? I don't want to say why it is so selective, because, as I said, UNFPA is a long term partner. And also the UNFPA invests a lot of capacity doing this stuff in dealing with the different social statistics, including gender and GBV.
00:03:58:12
OYUN
Yeah, so they are one of our most reliable partners. So that's why we will be very sure only they can do, conduct this very important and very sensitive survey. And if you allow me, I also want to talk about the little bits, story, history, the UNFPA, that agency really committed to strengthen, especially particularly given this against women in the country.
00:04:36:13
OYUN
That's why we took systematic approaches to strengthen these data. And first, these started in 2007 with the introduction of the rights against women data into good police statistics, administrative statistics. Later on in 2009 also we added that they were just against full data into their police crime statistics.
00:05:18:23
OYUN
And also that's why no one really took this issue seriously.
00:06:02:02
OYUN
Because in the past everyone thought that it's just an issue between men and women. It's the private one. They need to really solve this in their relationship. No one really sees that issue is a human rights violation and the same crime. And that's why this administrative data really gives us some sense. And there's some evidence and later in 2012 UNFPA that our first step was to conduct a nationwide GBV survey.
00:06:41:13
OYUN
00:07:15:21
OYUN
00:07:46:03
OYUN
Yeah, but we realized the situation and continuously we didn't give up, but we continuously advocate and sensitize our different stakeholders, including employees and CSO themselves and also the public.
00:08:28:02
OYUN
00:08:55:15
OYUN
In 2015, the Swiss Development Agency approached us to submit, and invited us to submit the concept note on combating GBV in Mongolia, but it should include survey itself and also it should have other components, service and capacity building, public events coordination, all of the components.
00:09:31:15
OYUN
So that was our end. We reached what we were willing to do and for that our codex include global lead experts like Henrik Jensen and Jessica Gardner and also our Sujata from APRO. Our capable team really helped us to secure this funding and all this was done under the great leadership of our country representative, Naomie Macotakara.
00:10:09:20
OYUN
So I thought this might be also helpful for other countries because funding is very important. The survey itself is very sensitive and it requires very high technical expertise, also a lot of training sensitization, and all stakeholders who are involved with this. Not just the researchers. That's why it won't just happen easily overnight. It’s a lot of effort, continuous effort, and really need this source.
00:11:05:06
HOST
What a journey. What a journey it has been for you to be able to conduct the survey. But then when you talk about conducting the survey itself, as mentioned by our other panelist, Ariunbold, or other guest speakers on our episode today, Jessica, as well, when you talk about issues about gender based violence, it's so sensitive for an issue for a woman who's going through it, they might not even be comfortable talking to their closest friend or their closest family members, let alone someone from the outside.
00:11:43:13
HOST
So when you look at the survey itself and how has the experience been, in terms of, you know, the challenges that you face when you talk about such intimate relations and also the sexual violence? These are deeply personal and very affecting questions. How does this impact the practical elements of conducting that survey, Ariunbold?
00:12:12:12
ARIUNBOLD
Well, thank you.
00:13:12:14
ARIUNBOLD
Many forms of physical violence by partners had been reported for the women, for example, being chased by car or chased by a horse and for other vehicles as well. And whip, covering their face with wet towel,and also hit with plug sockets,and beating pregnant and pregnant women who it is an impact and the effect of the abortion and so on.
00:13:41:24
ARIUNBOLD
And more than 40 types of violent outbursts were recorded
00:13:41:24
ARIUNBOLD
So in our surveys, sometimes when the data collection process, sometimes it is difficult to come back from a woman because, sometimes the victims of the violence are away from home, sometimes was absent. Also, we didn't know where is she. But that's also our main issue for the data collection processes.
00:14:46:14
ARIUNBOLD
Also, there have been some cases in the results of interviews that were scary because of the story of death which came after violence. So in our surveys psychologists work with our integrates because sometimes when they at least in the respondents they also feel some depression and anxiety.
00:15:18:10
ARIUNBOLD
So this is why we really put and organize the training.So we are training for the research enumerators. And also, sometimes enumerators also share their experience And they give some education to other audiences.
00:15:48:08
HOST
I can't imagine being an interviewer. And you know, being in such a sensitive situation, especially as you mentioned that most of the time the interviewers have been past victims themselves, which in a way we can understand that it kind of serves the theory that if you have those people, you know, interviewing, it will make things easier.
00:16:21:01
HOST
But then at the same time, it's so sensitive. So can I ask you a little bit more about how you approach these sensitivities? What has the training been like for the interviewers?
00:16:36:05
ARIUNBOLD
Okay. Yes, because doing the collection of the so with the collection, there were many difficult or the especially because the enumerator is the female it's because of the survey we use is sensitive. So I mentioned so the focus on the enumerators listening and talking with the abused woman and they will explore they will try to look at the master what's the condition and circumstances which women experience it with some clients, maybe even giving while also simultaneous to feeling depressed in some confusion and shocking, maybe sometimes crying together, although they share in the experience by an abusive women.
00:17:30:06
ARIUNBOLD
So they feel in their feelings and in weakness weight principally and having some difficulties coping with that something difficult situation. And also sometimes in weak concerns and continually thinking or thinking about the history and their story. So in fact, I would like to mention one fact for example, one woman who participated in the study in the one province in Mongolia that was frequently abused by her partner.
00:18:09:10
ARIUNBOLD
So she had approached to the enumerators after the survey. And the research team also supported her. And there may be contact groups about this issue that I'm really interested in organization and it's something about research in weakness in our study. It was to share without the experience that you mentioned it was really emotional to be completely in person.
00:18:45:11
ARIUNBOLD
And sometimes it's sitting together and maybe sometimes crying But however, most of the women who are selected are truly often talking about the secret which gives secrets of the enigma. So yeah, that's for sensitive issues of our training weekly and we hope with our training very successfully completed parts of the course 20 or 21 days.
00:19:27:23
ARIUNBOLD
It's more longer period. We trained for all the interviewers and explained. So we conducted a pilot testing and the enumerators expected to which environment are what kind of condition they will face. So also psychology, psychologists also explained this kind of sensitivity issues, how to communicate with the respondents. So our plan and training and preparation work is well done.
00:20:12:15
HOST
Wow, a lot a lot to do. So, Oyun yes?
00:20:18:00
OYUN
Yes. Thank you, Ariunbold.I also want to take just two more points.Yeah. So one of the challenges happened especially during the fieldwork, whenever the researchers wanted to have an interview with the woman. And sometimes there is no space, no private space which can provide the privacy for two of them.
00:20:49:12
OYUN
And still the husband is around and also very much interested to listen to know what's about that. So all of these specific sensitivities were addressed during the training and even we changed the name of the survey, not just the GP race, Violence Against Women survey, we named the survey Women's Health Issue, something like that differently.
00:21:21:05
OYUN
00:21:51:17
OYUN
They really love to give safe space, even sometimes our enumerators and the researchers taking the woman into the car and had their interview or going to the very remote field where they can pasture the animals or something like that. So these were given very sensitive and also very important issue of the safety and our research team with their guidance of that approach while the team did that very well.
00:22:29:08
OYUN
So we didn't had any issue during that conviction fieldwork, one of my team maybe I was planned to talk it later, but also it's still challenging. We had the advice of the committee for the survey, which consisted government, non-governmental and that academician and practitioners in well included.
00:22:57:11
OYUN
But everyone, every member of the advisory team wasn't at the same level of the knowledge about the issue.
00:23:31:20
OYUN
So these are also challenging and I thought it might be also helpful for the countries and how we can tackle this type of challenges while still doing this survey. Thank you
00:24:01:09
HOST
Wow. I can’t imagine, you know, especially when you want to interview someone who is in that situation in the same house with a potential person who's giving that violence or conflicting, you know, conflicting that violence on that person. I'm very, very, very sensitive. And also, you have to have great knowledge of the context that you're in at that time.
00:24:28:18
HOST
Okay. Well, you know, I think we really cannot really know what really goes through the minds or the situation of an interview unless we hear a story about it. So we're going to take a short break, listen to a short story to get a glimpse as to what the experience it is like for an interviewer for this survey.
Feature Story - Oyuna’s Story
Speaker: Mongolian young woman
My name is Oyuna and I am a survey interviewer. I worked with the National Statistical Office of Mongolia during the national survey on gender-based violence.
That is not like other surveys.
Yes, I ask about age, address, and marital status. The obvious things. But I’m here to ask more than that. I ask about lives, about relationships. I ask about things people do not always want to share.
I remember one interview I did. The house was just out of Dalanzadgad.
For some time, we had been trying to reach this woman to do the interview. Excuses regarding her absence were numerous - she’s gone to pick pine nuts and will not be back soon; she is sick; or something else. After our persistent attempts to find her, she was located with the help of the local administration officer and we went to meet her. Her partner opened the door. She was in bed. She was wearing sunglasses.
She was visibly in pain. I was afraid and in shock but trying hard not to show that to her. I needed to understand her experience.
I approached the woman and asked if I could talk with her for about 20 minutes. I asked her
how she was feeling, or if it is better to do this tomorrow. But she insisted on talking.
Her partner was sitting across the room and watching us. I took out a dummy questionnaire - a set of general demographic survey questions that would be safe to ask with the partner there. He would not leave us alone to conduct the interview in private.
Luckily, his phone rang and he left to meet his friends. Once he’d left and we were alone, I started the proper interview and she told me everything!
I was deeply shocked. My hands wouldn’t stop shaking but I did all I could to pull myself together. As I ended the interview and prepared to leave, the woman said: “Where were you ten years ago?”
That is why I ask these questions. That is why we do this work. Without these answers, this data, these stories won’t end. Knowing where, how, and to whom this violence is happening is essential for ending it - not with tests and trials, but with evidence-based interventions to stop this violence before it starts.
______________________________
THIRD VOICE
‘Hold on a minute, a podcast by UNFPA Asia and the Pacific.’
_______________________________
00:24:54:16
Host
Okay. So that was a short story brought to us, giving us the experience of an interviewer. And we think about the challenges. Certainly we've mentioned it before, there are physical challenges in conducting such a survey in Mongolia in addition to what we talked about in terms of managing the physical aspects and the emotional aspects of interviews. Ariunbold, do you have anything else that you might want to share with us in terms of managing these challenges?
00:25:31:12
ARIUNBOLD
We mentioned before that the training we worked so we think maybe this is some relatively low problem faced during the colloquium. However, Mongolia is the specific country between China and Russia, and our territory is vast and fields and many mountainous and hills especially for the countryside that the collection is because of the some development of droughts in some parts and causes significant some difficulties because it's mainly reached, have to wish the house it's facing some challenges but however some similar problems in rural areas, for example, sometimes it's the same household to keep the dogs.
00:27:21:01 - 00:27:55:10
ARIUNBOLD
I'll sit in the mud and sand and water in the countryside and especially then maybe not from problems. Yeah, there were quite a few cases where the team's car got stuck in the mud and it’s no help they pushed the cars out themselves. It's also a problem. However, they are always solving this kind of issue. Also maybe across in the rebel and sometimes uncommon in our country.
00:27:55:10 - 00:28:31:12
ARIUNBOLD
But there were had been some cases where inmates have driven get cash into the cars in addition to rate cases crossing river by food, foods, meat, the riding horse or riding a motorcycle, or which in the household in the rural life here. But also, I would like to mention sometimes that in rural, especially in the rural area, there's just no electricity, no power, and sometimes networks.
00:28:31:14 - 00:29:12:09
ARIUNBOLD
So in Mauritius and supervisors need to keep the requirement which you more safe. Also trying to charge if they reach some center, some technical problems. But yeah, based on the good cooperation with the local government, local administrative units and so on. Yeah,
00:29:02:11
HOST
I never would think about dogs or crossing the river or riding a horse, but everything, all of these things do count.
00:29:12:11
HOST
And as what you mentioned, it's so important to have that communication and that relationship with local administrators. And so, you know, when you talk about collaboration, it is very important in all aspects. And when we take a look at partners that are involved with this survey. And Jessica, how have the engagement been so far with the partners?
00:29:38:05 - 00:30:12:11
JESSICA
The survey like this involves a lot of moving parts. There are many people that need to be engaged in the process and of course, to have ownership over it. It's essential to bring those partners along right from the beginning. So that there is understanding about why this survey been conducted, what it is measuring, how it is measuring it, because everyone has an idea or an opinion about gender based violence, no matter what their experiences.
00:30:12:13 - 00:30:51:01
JESSICA
And this is about getting some evidence on the table that shows what we can find out from a statistical perspective about people's experiences. So that may differ quite a lot from what people are expecting to find out. So having those partners around the table early to share that commitment to go out into the field and collect this information and to do that safely with the principle of doing no harm, essentially guiding every decision and every activity along the way, it's really essential to have those people around the table.
00:30:51:03 - 00:31:36:14
JESSICA
And I know the way it was done in Mongolia was really a moral case where you have a very high level of committee of decision makers and donors and the people that are behind this commitment and then you have a technical group of people with academics, specialists across all different sectors, civil society, government, academia, who are coming around the table and talking about those technical details, how the questions are asked, how the interview as a trained, all those considerations, it's really essential that group has to be relatively close to all the planning is going on, because this kind of survey, as you can tell, it's not business as usual.
00:31:36:16 - 00:31:58:13
JESSICA
It's not the kind of survey that we kind of promote and say on the radio, we're coming out to your community to ask people about violence against women. Obviously, you can't do that with a survey like this. It needs to be conducted with only the people that need to know having any knowledge that the survey is actually going on.
00:31:58:15 - 00:32:34:04
JESSICA
And even the local administrators who need to help to get into those communities, they don't know that the survey is about violence. They know it's about women's health and life experiences and issues related to women. But they don't need to know the content of the survey because that has to be kept confidential until the interview teams have been into those communities and been able to exit safely without putting the women at risk, without putting themselves at risk and really doing no harm.
00:32:34:06 - 00:33:03:02
JESSICA
So the partners are key. Having them involved is key and keeping that group to the people that need to be involved. But then once you have the data and you're through that really challenging situation of going out into the communities, then you can broaden that partnership group and really involve people that can discuss what does this data mean because it needs to be contextualized, it needs to make sense in the context of that country.
00:33:03:04 - 00:33:21:24
JESSICA
So it's not just about the numbers it's discussing.Well, what do we find out from this? What does it mean in the context of Mongolia, or what does it mean in the context of Bhutan or in the Marshall Islands or all these countries across our region that have done this great work? And yeah, participation is really an essential part of that.
00:33:21:24
JESSICA
So people understand the numbers and they can back them and believe them when they come out and most importantly that they use them and apply them in their policy and, and decisions and, and the work that they're doing to eliminate gender based violence.
00:33:40
HOST
Well, talking about learning from your experience in Mongolia and applying that, as I said, you know, it's so much more than what maybe the typical person would think in terms of the survey being so sensitive and you seeing so many challenges in terms of emotions and physical aspects of that.
00:34:02:16
HOST
Oyun and Ariunbold, when we take a look at what you've done so far, what kind of lessons can be learned from your experience in Mongolia that perhaps maybe can be applied to other countries as a model?
00:34:15:02
OYUN
So as Jessica mentioned,the collaboration and partnership is really important. I think one of the key aspect of our success was in close collaboration with the government at a national level.
00:34:32:18
OYUN
To some extent at local level, and also have a strong CSR involvement and the MULTISECTORAL participation by representatives from different sectors will really actively participate. That is, citizens of our sensitivity and advocacy efforts. They become aware of. This is how important the data particularly going to be, how important that is. Certainly in our identifying our future interventions actions.
00:35:08:21
OYUN
00:35:40:12 - 00:36:16:08
OYUN
And even the individuals and research. So these are at the local level I'll of any sort of local offices as well, they have the reputation and also that they will really keen into again, managing all logistics related to their work. I just mentioned that on both the top issue. Yeah, it's the Mongolians in the country our countryside.
00:36:16:10 - 00:36:49:16
OYUN
00:36:49:18 - 00:37:37:03
OYUN
00:37:37:05 - 00:38:08:18
OYUN
So that was also they gain, the importance of partnership. Partner means not just the policy level. It's just every step. So that survey needs to be planned very well. And also needs to be considered all the possible challenges and the mitigation strategies for that to solve this challenge. The partnership has played a key role.
00:38:08:20 - 00:38:36:13
OYUN
And also I want to say that we had a very good coordinator who has a fluent English and who is really there, have a high level of knowledge in data, gender and human rights issues. So she also really played a key role bringing all these partners together and also the connecting each of these partners into one platform.
00:38:38:00
OYUN
Yeah, so that what I want to say. Thank you.
00:38:48:00
ARIUNBOLD
Thank you very much. So yeah, I would like also mention your collaboration is the must essential part of the kind of survey because we need to build some common understanding why we conduct this kind of survey. What is the outcome?
00:39:10:04
ARIUNBOLD
What is the impact for, so which means all stakeholders should be engaged on the survey. So collaboration is first. So collaboration will be built some budget issue planing and having involved with other stakeholders and so on. And secondly, I would like to say that planning, if good planning, then we can follow step by step.
00:39:47:03 - 00:40:25:03
ARIUNBOLD
We reached our final destination in the point and also training. Training is the most important, I think, because the activity of the enumerators is in affected to their quality. If we would like to obtain the really good quality data, then we should understand everything, every question, every consent, especially for gender and gender based violence. What is the gender issue?
00:40:25:08 - 00:41:12:04
ARIUNBOLD
What is gender based with violence? Then they will certainly communication is maybe to speech essential aspect or their especially for the greatest. If they have a really good communication and also they control their emotion and also they should maybe sometimes control the interviews as respondents. So that's maybe I would like to share with other countries also during the data collection, just in the main issue or especially what they related to the logistical things.
00:41:12:06 - 00:41:43:01
ARIUNBOLD
And finally, I would like to, if you plan to conduct when will conduct a data collection in some period, because in our case, we our data collection is to our left the election prediction period. So sometimes there may be some problem.
00:41:43:03
ARIUNBOLD
00:41:59:00
HOST
A very, very important points that you've pointed out in terms of the importance of collaboration, partnership, especially at the local scale and as well as the training, obviously as what you've mentioned in terms of understanding the context of what's been going on, as well as being able to, I guess, adapt to the situation as it comes and also the timing.
00:42:23:11 - 00:42:54:01
HOST
That's quite right. As what you mentioned there. Now, of course, the work has been done, you've had results and it's very exciting, I'm sure, because it's been a lot of effort that has taken in terms of trying to get this quality result. When you look at it, Do you see any factors that maybe surprise you that you might didn't expect to get after you conducted the survey?
00:42:54:06 - 00:43:29:20
ARIUNBOLD
Yes. Thank you. So first, I would like to mention the response rate in our survey, because the survey has very sensitive topics. We expect too many forms. This could be the excuse for the interviews, but if we had very good communication and also we are, we have support from the local administrators so in our survey response rate is quite high.
00:43:29:22 - 00:44:08:18
ARIUNBOLD
So which is unexpected results. And secondly, in Mauritius still, all the females because of sensitive topics and gender based violence so it’s really really good recognized that there is a situation there importance of this stuff by importance of this survey. because we are working for girls, womans in our country and protecting human rights especially for the women's rights.
00:44:08:18 - 00:44:41:01
ARIUNBOLD
And there may be inequality in our countries. And if we had really a huge number in data, then we can. You've a really good policy and very good planning and a very good law for the woman So which means they really understand and that they are very proud of our work collecting this data and in the right way.
00:44:41:03 - 00:45:35:14
ARIUNBOLD
So there was proud who she was and certainly some of that is maybe who has sometimes really interesting actress recently been for young woman, 22 to 34 years olds who have been there, facing violence also has some quite high compared with their other age groups. That's very interesting. So which means maybe Mongolian government need to consider some younger woman because they face it, more violence competitive with that it's stakeholders, which means young women may be likely to face or experience with some physical violence in their lifetime.
00:45:35:16 - 00:46:13:19
ARIUNBOLD
So in some time, in some cases also with some, we also, as somewhere unexpected, is maybe unexpected or maybe it's something 65% of who suffered some serious sexual violence. It's from others, but they’re in our home, which means it's a type of crime. It's usually maybe in the cycle of people who know each other, which means, yeah, it's very close maybe.
00:46:13:21 - 00:46:52:17
ARIUNBOLD
Yeah, it's very close to the victim of the violence. There are some maybe interesting facts from our results.
00:47:21:00 - 00:47:32:24
HOST
Interesting facts that you've just revealed in terms of you know the younger age group but being impacted by violence and also the factor of alcohol in this situation.
00:47:32:24 - 00:48:09:01
HOST
So when we take a look at the impact of the survey itself among policymakers and petitioners in Mongolia, how can this be implemented or have a change in the way things are regulated or possibly policies could be changed to better the situation?
00:47:53:00
OYUN
Thank you, Poupee. Yeah, I really am happy to respond to this question. Yeah, because the survey was conducted in 2017 and released starting in 2018.
00:48:09:03 - 00:48:49:09
OYUN
So since then, now it's around five years time. So but a lot of changes has happened in dating of combating gender violence. Violence against women in Mongolia. Many progress have been bad. So which means that our policymakers understanding about the GBV, Gender Based Violence against women and its implications in the individual family and society. How it's impacting all these levels of people's lives.
00:48:49:11 - 00:49:35:09
OYUN
Yeah. So the first I just want to say the only example, by that time 2016 which is a little bit before when we we decided to conduct the survey, the government allocation to combating violence against women was only 20 million Mongolian today But so result of the data how it's translated into the action said is not the government allocation wants to funding this area reach it to 10.6 billion in Mongolia today.
00:49:35:12 - 00:50:12:17
OYUN
And also with that survey data really to identify the location in need of the one stop service centers and shelters for the victims of the violence and to identify and it also use in the preparation and approval standard operating to implement the newly revised law to combat domestic violence.
00:50:12:19 - 00:50:51:14
OYUN
So there are 17 of one stop service centers and 17 shelters operating throughout the country,which means every province and district has a facility to receive clients and provide services from the one stop.
00:51:53:19 - 00:52:33:00
OYUN
So these are how the attitude of the decision makers, how the policies are changing.
00:52:33:02 - 00:53:03:19
OYUN
And so yeah, this is the result. One big result.
00:53:31:02 - 00:53:55:24
HOST
It's amazing, isn't it? That is so much can be done by one survey if you just invest in such a quality survey that you've seen so many changes all abroad across the board for Mongolia, I feel very hopeful for what's been happening in Mongolia and I'm sure a lot of our listeners are, you know, feeling that hope.
00:53:56:01
HOST
So what's next then, for the NSO after completing the successful survey, how are you going to work to ensure that this valuable data is used further in the future?
00:54:14:00
ARIUNBOLD
Thank you yeah, actually after this survey collection and we conduct survey with national workshops and try to aware to the public awareness so our survey to this data. It is a little for everyone so everyone can use especially for the policymaker, research, student practitioners anyone. So which means everyone can use this data and they can find some insights reflection from that data they can use it.
00:55:06:23
ARIUNBOLD
So now we are working, but you know, with policymakers or some government level staff need to really understand this kind of the data and they should use or apply in their all policy documents and their program, which we developed. But still,recently, Jessica and Jessica team, we are collaborating with they can do that analysis of the gender based violence 2017 which means so although it is sometimes as I said so maybe now maybe next year we will consider second wave after this kind of second wave or second round of the similar because there is already a six year process, which means we need to consider the next survey.
00:56:14:05
ARIUNBOLD
So we will hopefully we will collaborate on that. We discussed about this issue with the UNFPA, Mongolia, and we will plan some activities next year and we need to find some budget or expenditure for related survey issue and if we prepare next year successfully, then we will maybe conduct this survey maybe 2025 but right now is not sure.
00:56:48:05 - 00:57:37:10
ARIUNBOLD
But now it's the next year could be the preparation work will be done and yeah it's need to take advocacy from the other stakeholders government and other ministry, relevant ministries on their own organization and so on and hopefully we will organize this kind of survey and end of this year we released some data analysis results and we will organize that to do kind of workshops for the practitioners, also for some government or some more high level workshop.
00:57:37:13 - 00:58:27:18
ARIUNBOLD
And also we will provide some publish some policy brief or the attention to policymakers.Just completing the survey is not good enough. All the policymakers, the decision makers should use in apply and after that we should how they change it how will woman violence is changed. It also hopefully with positive changes will lead maybe at some collaboration with the UNFPA in Mongolia and the same issue.
00:58:27:20 - 00:59:00:23
HOST
Okay well you know I just wanted to because we're kind of like going beyond our time limit, but we will have time to edit. But I just want to give an opportunity to each of you to say a key takeaway that you know, our listeners can gain from our conversation on our episode, what they should know in terms of the importance of information and how it can really impact the community and create change.
00:59:01:00 - 00:59:01:24
HOST
Jessica,
00:59:01:24 - 00:59:38:20
JESSICA
Thank you. I wanted to say that this kind of work,it really shows a commitment by governments, by all the people involved to confronting this issue of gender based violence, which we know thanks to the statistics, is widespread. It has huge impacts on the women that experience it, their children, their families. It has huge impacts on society in terms of the costs and the lost productivity, the services.
00:59:38:24 - 01:00:13:20
JESSICA
So it's statistics that does provide a foundation for us to recognize how big the problem is, what are its drivers and what we can do to eliminate it. And I want to commend the governments that have put this on the agenda, and that is most countries in the Asia Pacific where UNFPA works. Most countries, 29, had produced national level statistics on this issue and a good proportion of them in 12 countries have done this more than once.
01:00:13:22 - 01:00:43:06
JESSICA
So it's great to hear that the plans in Mongolia to do a second wave, because that does hope to see how this work to end these forms of violence is having an impact. And countries have signed up to this already actually because in committing to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, there's a commitment to eliminate violence against women and part of that commitment is producing these statistics on prevalence.
01:00:43:06 - 01:01:20:10
JESSICA
And the only way that we can produce those statistics is by conducting random national level surveys as the one that we've been talking about today. And if you think about that well-known quote, what is measured, is treasured. And here what we treasure is ending violence against women. If we're willing to measure the extent of the problem and use that data to make a change, I think that shows the commitment to address this human rights violation. 00:00:00:00 - 00:00:19:12
Unknown
Hello Sujata and RBA, thank you so much for joining us here on our podcast and I'm sure a lot of our listeners are excited to hear from you, and especially when we're talking about disabilities and gender based violence and how that all creates a problem or issue in our society today.
00:00:19:14 - 00:01:00:07
Unknown
To frame the conversation of what we're going to talk about today. I'd like to ask you, RBA, about the characteristics of gender based violence against people with disability. Thank you so much. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to hear. And I think this is very important platform to talk about the gender based violence against women and girls with disability because from the Global South where I am living and it's really difficult to talk about on the boat first about persons with disabilities, the requirements from the human rights perspective, giving them access to the justice.
00:01:00:13 - 00:01:27:10
Unknown
And if we talk about the gender based violence against women and girls with disability, that's more complicated because women with disabilities are not even comfortable within their own identities. As a woman with disability, the society, the culture and all that idea is they are not accepted as a human being. And if we talk about the gender based violence, that's another stigma.
00:01:27:10 - 00:02:00:17
Unknown
And others, do you drive that attack with that? So it's quite difficult for women and girls with disability to talk about it, to accept it, to raise their voices and it's completely unheard in the societies. I think it's really important that we're having this conversation right now because as you said, they're unheard. And I have to admit, as a person who doesn't have disabilities and is not in that community in my country, I don't really know what really goes on.
00:02:00:18 - 00:02:34:11
Unknown
What are some of the ways in which people with disabilities are put at higher risk of gender based violence? Yeah, because we have done that like experience and witness that women with disabilities faced gender based violence full time, greater than that non-disabled woman because of their disability, the infrastructure barriers and the understanding about their and the choices on their own body and unfortunately, mostly their family members or the caretakers and some of the close relatives.
00:02:34:11 - 00:03:05:16
Unknown
They are the ones who are doing the gender based violence and the sexual harassment against women and girls with that ability. We have seen, like many parents, they prayed that our daughters die before we die because nobody is going to support them. Nobody is going to provide that support system for those women and girls. The disability and many of the women with disabilities who are the survivors of the gender based violence, they are completely excluded from the society.
00:03:05:22 - 00:03:52:06
Unknown
They committed, tried to commit suicide in many cases, and that's really challenging to address the gender based violence against women and girls with that ability. And the reason behind is more about the infrastructure barriers that exist in our society is the washrooms are not accessible. All the male have to support them, assist them to go to some places where if they go outside the home and that's the reason, then if they are inside the home also they are not aware what is happening to them because people don't realize that women with disability because they are not going to get married to a mostly they are not aware, never being discussed about their sexual health and
00:03:52:06 - 00:04:24:17
Unknown
reproductive rights, never discussed about the gender based violence. So that's the reason. And there are many, many layers of discrimination. That's why women and girls with disability face to all that gender based violence. Was Sujata You know, when Abby mentions that infrastructure, definitely it's a very big concern. What else are we seeing in terms of additional barriers for women with disabilities and girls with disabilities and accessing support services?
00:04:24:19 - 00:05:04:00
Unknown
Absolutely. I think there are lots of different elements that one has to think about. You know, first of all, it's really important to note that disability and violence are inextricably linked with disability, adding to the risk of violence. And also, while experience of violence need to be, you know, a cause or or contributor to increase in disability. Now, when it comes to various barriers, in addition to what Abir has shared, you know, women and girls may be subject to a range of medical treatments, for example, without their consent, including forced or coerced or otherwise involuntary sterilized ization.
00:05:04:02 - 00:05:35:11
Unknown
And sometimes these practices undertaken by medical professionals who may claim that they are doing this in the best interest of the individual and their caregivers. In many places, women and girls with disabilities experience violence in the hands of their partners or their caregivers who who, who may deny their access to medication or assistive devices, or even basic necessities such as food or water or any other kind of basic requirements.
00:05:35:13 - 00:06:12:20
Unknown
Another element that often doesn't get talked about is emotional abuse, which can be a very significant elements of, for example, perpetrators of intimate partner violence or violence that happens between partners or boyfriends, husband and wife. You know, those who are living together. There are instances that we have seen where perpetrators may tell the women with disability that they are undesirable as sexual partners or wives, and what's a mother is because of their disability and the kind of emotional abuse and the repercussions of that are also quite significant and linked to that.
00:06:12:20 - 00:06:58:07
Unknown
In many places, women and girls with disabilities are often excluded from women's groups or activities or, you know, convenings, meetings, etc. where information about existing services regarding, you know, gender based violence or awareness raising initiatives, etc., are conducted, disseminated. So that becomes quite a bit of a barrier for them to access that information. And then the last point I like to make here is about the negative attitudes and harmful stereotypes about disability held by family members or community members, and sometimes even those who whose job it is to support survivors of gender based violence.
00:06:58:07 - 00:07:42:17
Unknown
A significant barrier for women and girls with disabilities who are experiencing violence. You know, some assume that women and girls with disabilities, particularly those who have intellectual disabilities, are asexual or not capable of having a consensual sexual relationship and as a result, do not have any sexual and reproductive health needs. Sometimes those who are working in the health service or police or justice or legal services or shelter operators, for example, assume that, you know, women and girls with disabilities cannot participate in the same activities as other women and girls, and therefore they just completely exclude them from the very get go.
00:07:42:19 - 00:08:20:07
Unknown
So, you know, there are lots of these elements where we may not be thinking about them from a very logical perspective, but they're, you know, they take place in an everyday environment. The final point about the context here is also to not to forget persons with disabilities and their caregivers who experience conflict and displacement. And they may be as a result of that experience, you know, higher risk of violence as they lose their protective family and community networks or have less access to information about services or support.
00:08:20:09 - 00:09:00:11
Unknown
You know, that is available to them. I'll stop here, but happy to expand further. What I think that what you've said definitely has given us a just a glimpse of what is such a complicated situation that we're seeing for women and girls with disabilities. So to get more in-depth view of what's going on on the field, let's just pause for a minute and listen to a story about how the breaking of barriers or basically how a story of of sorry.
00:09:00:13 - 00:09:27:14
Unknown
Let us take a break now and listen to you, a story that perhaps will give us more in-depth knowledge about what really is is for, you know, the experience for disabilities. Sorry. Sorry. Let us take a break now and listen to a short story about the situation that women and girls with disabilities go through when it comes to gender based violence.
00:09:27:16 - 00:10:05:00
Unknown
Okay. That is definitely a story that is interesting and a concern for our conversation as we talk about the fact that women and girls with disabilities often face additional challenges and barriers in assessing GBV services or gender based violence services. And they're not reached by the GBV programs and interventions. So what can we do to make sure that interventions address gender based violence and they're more inclusive of the needs of women and children, or rather girls with disabilities?
00:10:05:02 - 00:10:34:07
Unknown
Yeah, thank you for that. So I want to point out that at the moment we have currently at the global and regional level several international conventions and strategies and guidelines that hold governments accountable to their obligation to act against the multiple intersecting forms of discrimination faced by women, girls with disabilities, and to create an environment where, you know, they have access to all services equally.
00:10:34:09 - 00:11:07:14
Unknown
However, in reality, that's or that's far, far from reality. UNFPA has a disability inclusion strategy, which really looks at a whole of institution framework for the organization to advance the rights of persons with disabilities throughout its mandate areas, and one of which is to eliminate gender based violence. And with regards to ensuring this meaningful disability inclusion in gender based violence response programing, what we have found is that it is crucial that we adopt a twin track approach.
00:11:07:16 - 00:11:56:21
Unknown
By that, what we mean is to ensure that there is a mainstreaming of disability inclusion, understanding of disability in all the existing programs, while also having activities or initiatives that are specifically targeted to support persons with disability. Now, when it comes to particularly making sure that interventions to address gender based violence are more inclusive to the needs of women and girls with disabilities, the first thing that I think we need to really think about is to demystify this concept or this notion that to address or to support the survivors with disabilities, we have to have a separate, you know, program or a project or an initiative, which we are really advocating here, is to ensure
00:11:57:00 - 00:12:36:23
Unknown
that existing response services, whether it is through police or health workers or shelter or psychosocial counseling, legal work, etcetera, the disability inclusion should be incorporated and embedded across all these sectors as part and parcel of how support to gender-based violence survivors are provided. And to do so, we need to really address these negative attitudes and beliefs and norms that are very integrated into many of us in our in our communities, and to really ensure that they're able to provide the support that they're meant to provide.
00:12:37:00 - 00:13:04:18
Unknown
At the same time, the other element is to meaningfully engage with organizations of persons with disabilities throughout any program design process. So this includes, you know, consultations with persons with disabilities to identify what barriers they face in accessing existing services, what are the gaps in services, but also to seek their advice on how these barriers can be overcome.
00:13:04:20 - 00:13:45:02
Unknown
So this meaningful engagement is really crucial throughout the design and implementation of any kind of gender based violence. Response programing. We also have a lot of gap when it comes to data on violence against violence experienced by women, girls with disabilities. So strengthening the investment in collecting the data when it comes to the magnitude of the problem faced by women and girls with disabilities who experience violence, but also the service data, that data from various service areas which will allow us to have much more evidence informed programing is really crucial.
00:13:45:04 - 00:14:12:18
Unknown
And finally, focusing on strengthening the capacities of those who are supporting survivors of gender based violence is crucial. As I said, this means health care workers, counselors, shelter operators, hotline operators, police, legal staff, etc. It's crucial that they have the appropriate knowledge, attitudes, skills for them to be able to provide the timely and quality support to survivors of disabilities.
00:14:12:20 - 00:14:38:00
Unknown
Oftentimes, these are life saving services, and once we missed that opportunity to provide that service, there might never be an opportunity to meet them again. So to be able to support them at any point of contact with a survivor or with disability, they have to be ready. And this concept of supporting survivors with disabilities has to be integrated across all the different sectors.
00:14:38:02 - 00:15:07:17
Unknown
I'll stop there, but I'm happy to expand because it says a lot. There's a lot that needs to get done, doesn't it? Is it? SUJATA And, you know, and we talk about the communities or the people that are you know, the area is where these incidents happened. A lot of it is due to the fact that you have these discriminatory attitudes, beliefs, norms and structures that promote or condone discrimination based on gender and disability.
00:15:07:19 - 00:15:41:19
Unknown
And so overall, it's is very deep. You know, in terms of how this problem or this discrimination is rooted on. So, yeah, what are some of the promising practices in the region on how to tackle these harmful attitudes, beliefs and norms relating to gender and disability? Thank you so much. And I think it's true that I have already mentioned about the policy and including the strategy in which we talk about the UNFPA, the a strategy to address the gender based violence against women and goods with disability.
00:15:41:24 - 00:16:19:24
Unknown
We are talking about 10 to 15% of the total population, of which like 50% of them are women and girls with disability and more than 80% in the world regions where they have very limited understanding information. And if we talk about the disastrous situation, then the discrimination and the challenge is increased a lot. We just want to first of example for Pakistan, what we have done with UNFPA about talking and taking a journey together, because that was first time we were talking about the gender based violence.
00:16:19:24 - 00:17:00:21
Unknown
But at the same time we have also practices that in drug approach in the country level. Like we talk about the real stakeholders in collaboration with the government, because if we do individually, that's only one time activity. But we want to create an ecosystem which is responsive and addressing the needs of those women and girls with disability. So what we did, like we started on the demand side that creating the awareness to women with disabilities for women with disability.
00:17:00:22 - 00:17:22:22
Unknown
So we started that I go to call support system to provide all over the country that woman with disability can talk about the gender based violence to creating the awareness. And on the other hand, we were working with the police department, the health department, the medical legal and also the GP, we code and the lawyers. So we like.
00:17:22:22 - 00:17:57:19
Unknown
But largely on one side we were creating it, talking about the demand and raising about these rights. And on the other hand, the service providers are more inclusive and responsive to the needs of women and girls with disability. And in that way it helped us a lot to create that accessible pathways, because if you go and conduct one time activity or talk about it, it's not possible because it took us real interventions from the grassroots level to the regional.
00:17:57:19 - 00:18:26:05
Unknown
And then on the national level, we also engaged a provincial regional government in it because they are understanding their commitment was really working to see that people would change their status in relation to the households and the community engagement. We have seen like organizations or persons with disability, they have the data, they have the knowledge, they know we are putting woman with a disability that existing how to talk about that.
00:18:26:10 - 00:19:09:00
Unknown
So we engage at all level the organizations, all the persons with disability and particularly women with disability to talk about it and give this interventions have given them the opportunity to share and provide that knowledge about the survivors with the disability. So that I already mentioned about the health concern that we have witnessed. Many women who have intellectual disabilities, they got pregnant during the flood response and earthquake response and they took them to the hospital because the mothers and the parents with the domestic workers too, they don't have any other option.
00:19:09:00 - 00:19:52:06
Unknown
And the only solution they were giving was the forces that they should because not acceptable for any woman with disability. And these kind of relations and the norms need to be changed systematically. Because if we just empower the woman with disability, that's not the solution. So it's important to have that equal accessible system and the referral pathways. And that I think was a clear point for us to take this as a responsibility from the state and making the existing services more inclusive and responsive for women and girls with disabilities.
00:19:52:08 - 00:20:22:05
Unknown
So it's much more than just providing ramps and, and, and lists. And we we also did some of the assessment which we have developed in collaboration with UNFPA to talk about the assessment of those services. The widows that how we can make that accessible from the Gender-based violence survivors perspective. And at the same time, infrastructure to voice all kind of disability wise.
00:20:22:07 - 00:20:59:19
Unknown
And these tools for the assessment that really help us to understand the whole context, what are the gaps that got existing and how to systematically address that. One of the things that you mentioned both of you, is, is the importance of engaging and and really understanding the situation for women and girls with disabilities. So when we take a look at engaging with organizations of persons with disabilities appropriately, what is the right way of going about and doing this?
00:20:59:21 - 00:21:28:12
Unknown
Why is this important again, to to make this happen and to have promising examples in the region of, you? I would say like it was again, very important to have the capacity building of the organizations of persons with disability, because when we started the work, we were the only organization of persons with disability that would be here to be the implementing partner of any of the UN.
00:21:28:12 - 00:22:04:19
Unknown
It didn't since the UNFPA have taken that leadership in that by engaging the VRA and the meaningful participation of the organizations opposite disability. So we build the strengths and the capacities supported them to more established in the way that the advocacy see their work and influence to the global and also the regional perspective. So when we started with the Disability Rights Act, they were the one organization of persons with disabilities who were talking from their own lived experiences.
00:22:04:24 - 00:22:47:05
Unknown
They were the one who bringing that voices and experiences of the challenges they are facing. And that I think it's very important, like why we need to work in collaboration. Because if you talk, they are always like to even talk. I hope they can working for the right of disability. But we are talking about also the right of the voice of disability so that the organization led by persons with disability and women and girls with disability and I feel like they are the best advocates of debate because when we talk about the Sustainable Development Goals, when we talk about the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability, all that reading review and the
00:22:47:05 - 00:23:16:02
Unknown
CEDAW and all that commitments that have clearly mentioned about the engagement of the organizations opposition with disability. Well, the other thing I want to highlight here about the PSC is that the engagement, sexual harassment workplace policies that also need more consultation references is in the context of engaging women and girls with disability so we can provide that safer space to them.
00:23:16:02 - 00:23:38:23
Unknown
Talking about that and in what ways they can create that environment which is more accessible and responsive. That's a lot. You know, I think from our conversation I can say it's a lot of things, but we really do need to make sure go right. And there's a lot of loopholes or a lot of chances that mishaps can happen.
00:23:39:04 - 00:24:06:01
Unknown
And when we ever talk about any campaign on our program or a podcast series, there are always challenges. Sujata Can you talk a little bit about the challenges that you are facing right now on the ground and how we can accelerate efforts to further enhance the inclusion of women and girls with disabilities? Yeah, thank you. I mean, there are challenges as several, right?
00:24:06:01 - 00:24:52:16
Unknown
But one of the things that building on what Rabia mentioned, one of the things that I'd like to highlight is to not burden organizations of persons with disabilities, to also then be the survivor service providers or those who are supporting survivors. They can be companions, they can be supporters of those who are experiencing violence, but not also to make them responsible, to support the necessary counseling or health or legal support that to make a distinction and accountability that those, you know, or sectors that are responsible to provide the life saving, timely support to survivors are the ones who have the skills and knowledge to provide that service.
00:24:52:18 - 00:25:28:10
Unknown
I think that lack of that distinction, we see that a lot on the ground where when we see any kind of new initiative or, you know, projects to support disability inclusion, there's an overbook burdening of organizations, of persons with disability to do the advocacy, to raise awareness, to create that kind of a space, then also support survivors. But that's, if you like, there's there needs to be a more for shared accountability for the sectors that are responsible to support survivors, to also take that ownership, that they should be disability inclusive in the way that they support survivors.
00:25:28:10 - 00:26:08:18
Unknown
Right. So that is one point I feel. There's also, as you mentioned, there are lots of, you know, promising practices, but the scale up of those promising practices are still lacking. We don't have we don't see a lot of that. What we would love to see is to be able to understand how can we really ensure that these investments are made sustainable, How can we really make sure that they're part and parcel of government policies and programs so they're not dependent on, you know, a one or two year long initiatives that they can really become, you know, a government owned, sustainable initiative.
00:26:08:20 - 00:26:37:07
Unknown
So all those things continue to remain major, major challenges. And sometimes we also see a lot of lip service when it comes to disability pension. And so we one of the reasons that we at UNFPA have really invested in developing these two specific tools, toolkits or tools, is really because of this, because we saw that there is a our organization wide investment.
00:26:37:09 - 00:27:14:14
Unknown
Sorry, can I do this again? One of the reasons why UNFPA has really invested in developing two specific tools for disability inclusion is to ensure that any efforts that are made in in this area are truly evidence based and also reflective of what we hear in terms of needs on the ground. So if I can just take a minute, I'll share with you that two tools that we have really been able to develop and support and provide as guidance and support to the various countries that we support.
00:27:14:16 - 00:27:55:12
Unknown
One is about it's about a tip sheet which allows those who are developing or rolling out gender based violence response programing to to integrate disability inclusion across all the different elements of programing. Sometimes it is incorporated in one aspect. For example, consultation with organizations of persons with disabilities in designing, but not in implementation or monitoring and evaluation. So the step sheet should necessarily it should, if it's incorporated, should support all LGBT programs to apply this across the planning, implementation and monitoring stages.
00:27:55:14 - 00:28:28:13
Unknown
The other tool that we have developed is that the split inclusion assessment, which looks at a SSA assessing the accessibility and inclusiveness of any services, and this is in line with the global standards and looks at issues like accessibility, availability, appropriateness, ness. You know how how the service prioritizes the safety. Has there been a conversation about informed consent and confidentiality of those who are using those services?
00:28:28:15 - 00:28:58:19
Unknown
How are the data collected ensured privacy of that data? All these components are factored into this disability inclusive inclusion assessment, and the idea would really be for any kind of service provision at the country level to apply IDs. Some of them may be about one aspect or the other. These can be used for monitoring, these can be used for enhancing the capacity.
00:28:58:24 - 00:29:34:07
Unknown
These can be used for policy advocacy. But the idea would really be to make sure that we don't forget about it. And it's not a one time engagement. It's really more of a process and inclusion across the implementation plan. It's really is about, you know, it's it's it's just something that is so clear that we really just need to have that be a core, you know, equal opportunity for for all the women and girls with disabilities to have that equal treatment with any organizations that are involved.
00:29:34:09 - 00:30:13:23
Unknown
And sadly, we are at the end of our conversation. But I really would like to give the opportunity to both of you, Abby and Sajjad Satu, to give us a glimpse or basically get down to the point that people really need to know about this contradicting or the situation that we're seeing here where, you know, we have that alertness that we should give the right equal opportunities for women and girls with disabilities to have that the resources that they need to deal with that, you know, gender based violence.
00:30:14:00 - 00:30:40:17
Unknown
But at the same time, things aren't possibly, you know, moving as fast as they should be. Abby Zaza, can you just tell us what we should know or what the listener should know right now about the situation? Abby Yeah. Thank you so much. And I feel like I'll just link it with like bombers and barrel about the Sustainable Development Goals because we are still not on the track.
00:30:40:17 - 00:31:10:24
Unknown
And the reason behind is the women and girls with disability. That's the huge number still untapped, still missing from the development from the sustainable perspective because of all the challenges and especially the gender based violence they are facing, they need that equal opportunity and I think that's possible if we have the segregation of the specific data. What and how we are using that data by providing them the safe space understanding.
00:31:11:05 - 00:31:49:24
Unknown
And secondly, about the allocation of the budget, because if we will not incorporate that in our programs, in our projects, in our activities as a sustainable perspective and also including them in the meaningful way, then we will not be able to achieve the dignified life. Which woman then? Good The disability is required. At the moment we cannot see another decade to see that change and we cannot wait to see the all the policies will be equal and provide that support.
00:31:49:24 - 00:32:40:06
Unknown
But we need to take the actions now and the actions of the State, the actions of the UN, FBA, actions of the organizations of persons with disability and all the service providers because we cannot do it alone. It's stakeholders commitment, engagement and the proper implementation of that sustainable land where we can see that the survivors with the disabilities are enjoying their lives and getting equal support system and that gender based violence is properly addressed in the way that we, the women who are facing this discrimination and the challenges they are not like in the same situation.
00:32:40:06 - 00:33:23:00
Unknown
They have to be living a dignified life where they can support their own life and at the same time their families and the overall perspective of the development. So this is very important how we collectively taking the actions and talking about the inclusion of women and girls and disability. Thank you all, said Sujata. For me, having worked in this area for a few years now, one of the things that comes very strong in my head is to really always remember that disability inclusion in gender based violence programing is a journey and not a one time event.
00:33:23:02 - 00:34:08:24
Unknown
So any investment needs to go beyond a one time training session or an activity or, you know, one big event. It really has to be systematically integrated into our organization standards, quality assurance measures and the full comprehensive programing. So having said that, that also leads me to advocating with government and organizations to allocate sufficient budget and really invest in gender based violence prevention and response with a very, very clear recognition and understanding that these response services need to be bringing in the perspective of women and girls disabilities and their very nuanced experience of gender based violence.
00:34:09:01 - 00:34:37:11
Unknown
And that requires a engagement with organizations of persons with disabilities in a meaningful way across the various programing cycle and really understanding that the accountability is on all of us to make sure that those experience violence do not get further exacerbated or experience further traumatization because the service provision are not of quality or are not survivor centric. Thank you.
00:34:37:13 - 00:35:09:02
Unknown
Thank you so much to the both of you for sharing with us your work and also what we are really need to be alert about in terms of the situation on the ground. Thank you so much for taking the time to know. Give us an insight into what the challenges are and hopefully from our conversation today in our episode, these women and girls with disabilities will truly get the dignity that they deserve in their lives.
00:35:09:04 - 00:35:10:09
Unknown
Thank you.
00:35:10:09 - 00:35:32:16
Unknown
now there is a lot of progress that has been made to strengthen the inclusion of women and girls with disabilities. Now, many challenges and gaps still persist, though. So, Sujata, can you talk about or explain the challenges that we have right now, and how can we accelerate efforts to further enhance the inclusion of women and girls with disabilities?
00:35:32:18 - 00:36:05:14
Unknown
So building on the challenges that we've spoken about, some of the attempts that we have made at UNFPA, Asia Pacific Regional Office is in collaboration with our country offices in Asia Pacific, as well as organizations of persons with disabilities that we partner with. We have come up with a few tools that hopefully will be in service of ensuring that the inclusion of disability I'm sorry, I mean, do that again.
00:36:05:16 - 00:36:41:05
Unknown
When we come conscious, it becomes even harder. I think it's okay. It's okay. It's recorded. Okay. So when you're ready to start. Okay, Thank you. So building on the challenges that we spoke about earlier at UNFPA, Asia Pacific Region offices, Regional Office, we have invested in developing a few tools in collaboration with our country offices, as well as organizations with persons with disabilities to really ensure that the split inclusion is part of all our Gender-based violence response and prevention programing.
00:36:41:07 - 00:37:15:21
Unknown
So the first tool is a tip sheet on disability inclusion, and that really walks through any JVP programmers through the various stages of their GPP programing process. So whether it's planning or implementation or monitoring. So some examples of that would be in planning, making sure that we are reviewing the legal and policy frameworks on disability and JVP and ensuring that the established partnership with inclusive civil society organizations or making GDP assessments and consultations on disability inclusion.
00:37:15:23 - 00:37:54:00
Unknown
Similarly in implementation, you know, setting standards on access and inclusion for any kind of JVP response, ensuring that there's integrated disability into any kind of training or capacity building, for example. And finally, in monitoring, ensuring that any collection or analysis of data has disability, disaggregation is part and parcel of how it's collected and analyzed. Setting indicators on disability inclusion for TV programing and developing an action research or module that really looks into the learnings from a disability inclusion perspective.
00:37:54:02 - 00:38:32:14
Unknown
The other tool that we have developed is a disability inclusion assessment tool which is designed for all frontline responders to flood survivors of gender based violence. The example those who are delivering health or justice and policing or social support services have the assessment tool to understand whether these services are meeting the standards on access and inclusion for women and girls with disabilities, and to also help identify any gaps or track in improvements in the way the services are delivered over a period of time.
00:38:32:16 - 00:39:13:19
Unknown
To some of the examples of the questions that I understand this assessment tool would include accessibility on availability and prioritizing safety, looking, making sure that there's informed consent and confidentiality, data collection, etc. and the idea is really that these this tool will help and guide answering questions about how to make sure that our programs are accessible, inclusive, responsive to the needs and barriers faced by women and girls with disabilities, and evolving, as well as documenting the learnings as we implement these programs.
01:01:21:08 - 01:01:22:07
HOST
Ariunbold,
01:01:22:07 - 01:01:29:18
ARIUNBOLD
Okay. Thank you so much for the final word. Yeah.
01:01:29:20 - 01:02:07:00
ARIUNBOLD
And maybe the next part that we have some record about some cases in the police officer, that's not good enough. But however, there is some gap between you know, the fact that demand supply. So which means I think this survey maybe fill this gap or it's this story which provides more information about that woman based violence work.
01:02:07:02 - 01:02:52:07
ARIUNBOLD
Yeah gender based violence women experience it in country and government and the policymakers already made some commitment to the local level and the national level. It should end extent current circumstances in our country related with women violence which means they should add some kind of data source. And they also should use that data more efficiently which means they should apply or they should use this data so which means they also may be capable or have some kind of literacy issues.
01:02:52:09 - 01:03:31:13
ARIUNBOLD
So yeah, and after that if they have some data base, and can see the whole picture of the country level, then where is the problem specifically may be in which province or which kind of the problem or who is the main reason of the violence and who made violence? Who is the victim and which maybe by age group, maybe by education level, maybe among families, maybe alcohol consumption.
01:03:31:13 - 01:04:27:18
ARIUNBOLD
So they have this kind of comprehensive information and they have left. We could maybe have a policy and program, but it's not good enough. I said that they also need to implement they also control there is development activity planned activity and it should make sure of the exact that's maybe ongoing process and always trying to eliminate all the violence and if they have a really good number, then they know and they know a very good policy to communication and also make sure that what they have done or the woman and finally we can reached our final destination, finally
01:04:29:12 - 01:05:10:22
OYUN
Thank you, Aruinbold. B
01:05:10:24 - 01:05:42:15
OYUN
So it's very important then together with the UNFPA, so last three or four years, you continuously advocate it to include that national survey into the statistics law. And if it would be successful, if it's included there, our funding issue would be at least to have these solved and repeatedly we can do it.
01:05:42:15 - 01:06:00:20
HOST
Thank you so much, Jessica, or opening our eyes into how important it is for us to have quality information and the impact it has on various changes that are so close to the our lives throughout the whole world.
01:06:00:20 - 01:06:22:10
HOST
You know, our different communities. And also thank you to our colleagues here at Mongolia, Aruinbold and Oyun for telling us your success story with the survey that has been conducted and showing that it really does have an impact on the country and the world. Thank you so much.
