New Briefing Paper analyzes the state of affairs of gender relevance in armed violence datasets
GENEVA—Sound and timely gender-relevant data is key for adequately and comprehensively addressing armed violence. Global databases have the potential to highlight relevant gendered dynamics, but currently lack crucial information related to the sex and gender of victims as well as the context of the violent events monitored.
Gender Counts: Assessing Global Armed Violence Datasets, a new Briefing Paper from the Small Arms Survey, highlights these knowledge gaps and indicates ways towards filling them.
Reviewing global, regional, and national datasets on lethal violence—including on homicides, and conflict-related fatalities—the study finds that gender relevance of the available data across the board is still low. However, recent developments in the 'Data Revolution' connected to efforts to implement the 2030 Agenda have demonstrated that it is possible to move in the direction of better data on the gendered dimensions of violence. Increasing political support and civil society commitments have started producing more gender-relevant data for a range of related lethal violence, small arms, and gender indicators.
The study therefore sees room for optimism, and data for gender analyses will likely be more inclusive and gender-relevant in the near future.