The socio-ecological model is a valuable framework for this analysis because it acknowledges that VAWG isn't isolated to individual actions but is deeply embedded within interconnected layers of society—ranging from personal experiences to societal structures. Using this model to analyse risk and protective factors helps inform and target interventions at multiple levels, challenge harmful norms, transform societal attitudes, and advocate for policy changes to dismantle systemic inequalities. It ensures that programme teams understand why it is important to address multiple risk factors through comprehensive programming. Some examples of typical risk and protective factors for different forms of VAWG at different levels of the socio-ecological framework include:

Violence against women and girls can take many different forms. In order to understand what drives the occurrence and perpetration of VAWG, and how to tailor interventions, it can be important to consider the following:

• Types of violence: Different forms of violence - for example, intimate partner violence, sexual exploitation and abuse and harmful traditional practices - may have different risk factors. Understanding these variations helps in designing targeted programmes and support services that cater to diverse needs.
• Prevalence of violence: Knowing the prevalence rates and patterns of VAWG helps in developing preventive measures. By understanding where and how violence occurs, who is targeted and who perpetrates it, interventions can be more focused and this data can help with measuring programme impact.
• Life course: Different risk factors for an individual perpetrating or experiencing violence often vary according to an individual’s age and stage of development. For example, factors like dependency, power imbalances, and changing life circumstances all play significant roles in shaping vulnerability to VAWG and vary among children, adolescents, adults, the elderly, and those transitioning into new phases of life (e.g. motherhood).
• Setting: VAWG can occur in any area of life, with associated risk factors becoming more or less important in different settings. From domestic, community and workplace settings, to conflict and humanitarian settings or online and digital platforms, violence can take various forms and impact diverse groups of women and girls differently.

In order to design effective programmes, it is important to identify and address the specific drivers of VAWG that are most significant in a particular context. In this respect, engaging stakeholders and communities in analysing the situation, and identifying solutions, can help create more effective and comprehensive solutions to shifting norms and prevent VAWG. In order to identify and recognise contextual drivers of VAWG, it can be helpful to consider the following:

• The different forms and prevalence of VAWG: what are they, and how do they vary? Who are the primary victims and perpetrators, and what are the consequences of this violence? What is known about the key causes, patterns and dynamics of specific type(s) of VAWG?
• Key attitudes and norms: What are the norms and attitudes that justify violence, keep women and girls silent, and inhibit community response? Are there positive attitudes, norms or practices which support gender equality and non-violence?
• Existing actors and allies: Who are the most influential actors in the context, and who do they influence (men, women, families and communities)? Are there individuals, groups and organisations that could be allies for violence prevention work?
• Existing or past programming, and learning: What existing/ previous programmes are there in this context related to gender or VAWG? What is the evidence and learning?
• Women and girls’ perspectives: What do women and girls see as the main risks of VAWG? How about women’s movements? Where do women survivors currently go for help and why? What is the accessibility and quality of response services? How does this analysis differ for different groups of women and girls, especially the most marginalised?

A Theory of Change (ToC) is a framework that outlines how and why a desired change is expected to happen in a particular context. Often a ToC is developed in response to a problem analysis that identifies the causal pathways of VAWG within a given context, and provides a structured approach to understanding the complex interplay of cultural norms, gender inequalities, economic disparities and institutional dynamics. A theory of change can then be created to show how the proposed interventions will tackle the different factors at different levels that are driving VAWG, and any related assumptions or dependencies. Find out more about how to design a comprehensive prevention strategy. 

In order to understand the scale of VAWG and programming needs, it is useful to consult or generate qualitative and quantitative data to measure relevant risk factors and drivers of violence.

Examples of qualitative data sources:

• Conduct a stakeholder mapping, or depending on the context, a social network analysis, power analysis or political economy analysis
• Interview key stakeholders, service providers, women, girls, and representatives from women’s rights organisations and civil society organisations
• Lead participatory workshops and focus group discussions with a diversity of women from the target group/community

Examples of quantitative data sources:

• The WHO Global Database on Prevalence of Violence against Women provides an interactive data visualisation of global, regional and country-level estimates of intimate partner violence and sexual violence by someone other than a partner (referred to as non-partner sexual violence).
• The Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) Program is a globally comparable household survey focused on population and health information, including marriage, maternal and child health, reproductive health, domestic violence and more.
• The World Bank's Gender Data Portal provides the latest gender statistics to improve the understanding of gender data and facilitate analyses that inform policy choices. This includes indicators for the Sustainable Development Goal on Gender Equality (SDG 5) which measure exposure to and experiences of different types of violence, protective legislation and social norms around violence.

Find out more about how to understand and use VAWG data

When understanding the causes of VAWG, it is important to identify the ways in which gender inequality intersects with other forms of inequality to drive violence and perhaps increase the risk, severity and/or frequency of experiencing violence for specific women and girls.

An intersectional approach analyses how women and girls’ experiences of violence are shaped by their race, ethnicity, class, sexuality, age, (dis)ability and geographic location as well as historical legacies of inequality. This approach is essential to ensure that VAWG work is tailored to the diverse needs of women and girls, and does not compound exclusions.