During the conference Commitment – Data – Action, organized by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna on 6-7 May 2019, UN Women organized a working group session on “Data collection and SMART national action plans on ending violence against women”. The session, which brought together policy makers and practitioners on ending VAW from different countries in the region, discussed the following questions: (1) How can we best use the information from the OSCE survey
(as well as international framework and guidelines) to enhance policy and response to VAW?; (2) What steps need to be taken to define and harmonize methods and standards for collection of administrative data from different sectors?; (3) How can we enhance cross-sectoral data sharing systems at the national level to ensure they are women-centered? What are the good practices and lessons learned?; and (4) Which mechanisms can be established to ensure administrative data are used to inform policies and programmes to end VAW?.
The broader objectives of this conference were to (1) Discuss with key stakeholders (ministries, national gender equality mechanisms, civil society organizations, international organizations) the results of the OSCE-led survey on the well-being and safety of women; (2) Turn the proposed action points of the OSCE-led survey main results report into concrete recommendations on combating VAW, and (3) Identify and deepen synergies between all stakeholders active in combating VAW, discussing the potential for cross-regional initiatives to improve policies and measures related to the prevention and protection from VAW. The working session organized by UN Women aimed to contribute to the discussion about the relevance of not only survey data, but also administrative data to inform the response to VAW and share experiences on how this is being done across countries in the region.