A situational analysis highlights key characteristics of the programme setting and stakeholders, including the risk factors (e.g. police acceptance and perpetration of abuse of women and girls) and protective factors (e.g. presence of gender desk/focal point in local police facility). Understanding what types of violence exist, who is most affected, and how women and girls rate the security services and actors they have access to, provides programme designers some idea of key issues to be addressed. This review is needed to determine the potential strategies, entry points, and partnerships for the planning and design of a particular intervention, which helps to ensure its appropriateness to the local context and avoid duplication of efforts. A situational analysis is distinct from and cannot replace the baseline analysis which is conducted at the start of a programme after strategies have been identified, in order to measure change, although it may complement it. A good situational analysis should be grounded in a human rights-based approach, among other core guiding principles.
What should be included in a situational analysis?
The table below outlines key areas with examples of relevant questions for a situational analysis of the sector that can be adapted for use at the national or local level. Potential sources of information are provided where available and where data is limited, primary research will need to be conducted. The questions could be used as part of survey questionnaires, interviews with key stakeholders or to guide focus group discussions.
Nature of violence against women and girls
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Legal and Policy Framework |
For country examples of national laws and policy measures, see the
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Institutional obligations and practices (within national initiatives and security sector reform) |
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Capacity of police and other personnel |
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Coordination and collaboration mechanisms |
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Security Needs of Women and Girls
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Ability to access security services |
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Adapted from: OECD/ DAC, 2010, Handbook on Security Sector Reform: Section 9: Integrating Gender Awareness and Equality.
Illustrative Sources of Data:
Information for the situational analysis may be found through a variety of sources as follows:
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Population-based surveys on violence against women can be used for data on the national or site specific prevalence of physical and sexual violence and issues such as help-seeking, consequences of violence, among other factors.
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The UN Secretary-General’s Database on Violence against Women, which compiles legal, policy, institutional measures and services for survivors, among other state efforts to prevent and respond to violence against women, and can be filtered by country, specific measures (e.g. gender desks) or forms of violence, among other categories.
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National or regional surveys on domestic violence, for example Eurobarometer, 2010, Domestic Violence Against Women Report, which includes a section on the role of institutions, such as the police, in response.
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Crime perception surveys, such as those conducted by Afrobarometer.
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Regional studies such as ECLAC, 2004, Violence Against Women in Couples: Latin America and the Caribbean, Population Council, 2008, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Africa: Literature Review, or DCAF, 2011, The Security Sector and Gender in West Africa: a survey of police, defence, justice and penal services in ECOWAS States.
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Small scale national studies, human rights reports such as the CEDAW concluding comments or reports of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences.
A situational analysis may also look towards opportunities for interventions and identify:
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Existing strategies and activities or gaps in interventions which involve the sector, and opportunities to integrate violence against women and girls, rather than creating a separate strategy; and
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The actors and organizations already active in this area, to identify potential partners for the sector and avoid duplication of efforts.
Example: Situational Analysis on Trafficking in the Dominican Republic
In November 2005, at the request of the United States Agency for International Development in the Dominican Republic, Chemonics International Inc conducted a situational analysis of trafficking in the country to review the scope of trafficking in persons nationally; assess efforts related to the prevention, protection and prosecution of trafficking; identify gaps in interventions; and provide recommendations for a possible foreign assistance response by the United States Agency for International Development.
The assessment involved a team of two consultants who conducted a desk review of the relevant literature and research available, followed by in-country interviews over a two-week period. The team had an introductory briefing session on the content and deliverables associated with the scope of work and a closing discussion to present preliminary conclusions and programmatic recommendations with the United States Mission. Interviews were held with over 30 key stakeholders, representing state and non-state partners, international organizations, and included personnel from the National Police School, Police Department Dealing with Trafficking and Tourist Police.
The assessment made key recommendations related to the security sector, such as the need for specialized and institutionalized training of law enforcement personnel to improve identification, investigation and prosecution of cases; and reforming and strengthening witness protection programmes; among other complementary recommendations related to national coordination mechanisms; support to civil society organizations raising public awareness and providing protection services; and increasing knowledge exchange and funding for programmes to prevent trafficking, protect survivors and promote prosecution of cases.
Source: USAID. 2005. Anti-Trafficking Technical Assistance: Dominican Republic Anti-Trafficking Assessment. USAID. Washington, D.C.
Example: Situational Analysis of Sexual and Gender Based Violence in Internally Displaced Persons’ Camps after the Post Election violence in Kenya 2009. Methodology A situational analysis was conducted in Kenyan IDP camps to determine levels of gender-based violence, with information gathered through the following methods:
- Survey of 629 people (400 female, 229 male)
- 28 focus group discussions with various groups involving 249 people (174 women and 75 men)
- Key informant interviews with aid workers, camp leaders and other stakeholders
- 10 case studies
Quantitative data was analysed using SPSS software, with qualitative data analyzed manually. Findings
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Gender-based violence was fourth (10.7%) and security eighth (5.1%) out of key concerns of men and women in the camps.
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Law enforcers were seen as the main perpetrators of gender-based violence by 12.5% of those interviewed
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Insecurity was seen as a contributing factor to the violence.
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22.3% of those who did not experience gender-based violence believed it was due to the presence of security.
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5.5% of violence survivors said that they reported the incident; 31.1% said that they did not.
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Nearly half of survivors reporting incidents of violence spoke to camp leaders (43.9%), followed by law enforcers (35.4%).
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Among interviewed women who reported violence, only 0.6% said that they received some form of security assistance.
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The reluctance of law enforcers to recognize gender-based violence cases was identified as a challenge to reporting by 6.9% of interviewees.
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A key recommendation given was the need to create a friendly reporting environment through training law enforcers/health workers, among other service providers
Source: Njiru, R., 2009. Situational Analysis of Sexual and Gender Based Violence in the Internally Displaced Persons’ Camps after the Post Election Violence in Kenya, based on Kenya National Commission on Gender and Development, NGO Women’s Empowerment Link and UNFPA, 2009, Situational Analysis of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in the Internally Displaced Persons’ Camps after the Post Election Violence in Kenya.