In light of growing demand for more accurate and reliable measurement of violence against women (VAW) prevalence, the kNOwVAWdata initiative launched in 2016. kNOwVAWdata is a partnership currently composed of UNFPA, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), the University of Melbourne and Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS). Building on the partners’ track records in supporting VAW data collection and use in the region, kNOwVAWdata’s main objective is to strengthen regional and national capacity to measure VAW.
By developing the skillsets of national institutions and professionals to conduct VAW surveys and data analysis in Asia and the Pacific, kNOwVAWdata is helping to ensure sustainable availability of reliable, high quality VAW data. kNOwVAWdata uses internationally recognized, best practice survey methodologies, such as the methodology developed for the World Health Organization (WHO) Multi-country Study on Women’s Health and Domestic Violence, and the Domestic Violence module of the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS). The current Australia funded phase of kNOwVAWdata runs from mid-2016 through the end of 2019.
