National governments, international organizations and regional structures, or the bodies they have designated, have an important role to play in overseeing coordinated responses to violence against women. Those entities can ensure that coordination goals are achieved through the following monitoring and evaluation activities:
- Developing clear lines of responsibility for collecting data and reporting findings;
- Working with national statistical agencies to ensure regular collection of baseline and overview data;
- Commissioning research and evaluation on responses to violence against women;
- Monitoring and reporting on implementation of laws and policies relating to violence against women and coordination;
- Monitoring, evaluating and reporting on the standards of service provision;
- Monitoring, evaluating and reporting on the legal processes and outcomes of violence against women cases; and
- Monitoring and reporting on societal attitudes toward violence against women and victim/survivor experiences.
Example: Evaluation of Organic Law on Integrated Protection Measures against Gender Violence (Spain)
In 2008, three years after it originally came into force, the Spanish government commissioned an evaluation of its Organic Law on Gender Violence. While it is acknowledged that three years was a relatively short period in which to assess fully the impact of the law, the evaluation fulfills provisions within the law itself requiring regular assessment of its effectiveness.
Key findings from the three-year period included:
- The Spanish government invested almost 800 million Euros in a range of policies designed to prevent and address gender-based violence;
- Since it was set up in 2007, the free national helpline offering legal advice and information received an average of 176 calls per day regarding gender-based violence;
- There was a 72% increase in the number of gender-based violence cases reported from 2002 to 2007 (a 21% increase from when the plan came into force);
- A total of 128,759 women obtained judicial protection during legal proceedings; more than 112,000 of these obtained protection orders;
- 53,000 men received prison sentences for gender-based violence offences; and
- A computerised monitoring system for cases of gender-based violence and a common risk assessment protocol for use by state security forces, police, courts and prosecutors were introduced in 2007.
Source: Spanish Government (2009) An Evaluation of the Application of Organic Law 1/2004 of 28 December on Comprehensive Protection Measures against Gender-Based Violence. Available in English.