SPOTLIGHT INITIATIVE LAUNCHES ONLINE COURSE “KNOWVAWDATA” ON MEASURING PREVALENCE OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN CENTRAL ASIA
Online course kNOwVAWdata (data on the extent and nature of violence against women) in Russian language for Central Asia is launched by the Regional Programme “Spotlight Initiative”. The course is developed by the University of Melbourne (Australia) in partnership with United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
Gaps in measuring the prevalence of violence against women is a common problem in countries of Central Asia. First of all, this is due to the mismatch of technical and expert capabilities in the region, since such studies often rely on international experience, which is not enough to satisfy growing demands in the countries of the region. The kNOwVAWdata course is a practical approach that offers tools and methods for collecting, measuring and reporting data on violence against women for regional experts in Central Asia.
Access to the kNOwVAWdata course will be opened online for practitioners from Central Asian countries starting from September, 2022. The first group of practitioners will start training in September and will end in December this year. Students of the course will have the opportunity to study the provided material on their own, with the curatorial support of a teacher from the American University of Central Asia (AUCA), Bishkek. The course provides online meetings with the trainer to consolidate the material, as well as the opportunity to ask questions and receive feedback.
“Through the kNOwVAWdata course, endorsed by the Spotlight Initiative of the United Nations which has received generous support from the European Union, we expect to see more local researchers and gender experts enhance their skills and knowledge to provide reliable statistics on violence against women and girls. Only with reliable data can decision-makers develop and implement adequate policies and practicies to protect and support the victims and, importantly, to end gender-based violence in Kyrgyzstan and in the region” - said Ms. Antje Grawe, UN Resident Coordinator in the Kyrgyz Republic.
“We are pleased that the Know the Data on Violence Against Women (kNOwVAWdata) course provides a comprehensive and powerful tool for addressing many challenges associated with collecting, analyzing and using quality data on violence against women. We hope that this will contribute to the creation of an effective system for measuring violence against women and more informed decision-making by politicians. At the EU, we are committed to helping the countries of Central Asia, including Kyrgyzstan, in their quest to combat gender-based violence. Effective research on violence against women is not only about fairness in society but can also influence important individual decisions: about family cohesion, about education, about working conditions and about others,” said Marilyn Josefson, Ambassador of the European Union to Kyrgyzstan.
“Along with the population census of the Kyrgyz Republic, the role and importance of the systematic collection and analysis of statistical data are of strategic importance for the development of our country. The statistics on violence against women and girls speaks for itself, and we are pleased that our development partners, together with the Committee on National Statistics, the Government and the academic sector, are tirelessly investing in informing and improving the quality of data” - said Ms. Gulmira Okoeva, Head of the Department of Gender Policy and Coordination for Protection from Family Violence, MLSP.
“kNOwVAWdata course develops skills to measure prevalence of violence against women. Such studies are very important because it provides a better understanding of both the problem and the causes of violence, which will allow governments and communities to break the vicious circle by directing resources towards the elimination of violence against women in the countries of the Central Asian region” - course teacher Jarkyn Shadymanova, AUCA.
Three types of certificates will be available to participants from the countries of the region who complete the course: a participant certificate, a trainee certificate, and a technical expert certificate.
Course participants who complete all modules and receive a technical expert certificate will be included in an international database as research specialists on measuring violence against women. The costs associated with the course will be covered by the regional program Spotlight Initiative.
For further details, please contact:
1. Zhamilya Kussainova, Communications Specialist, United Nations Population Fund tel.: +77016483153 kussainova@unfpa.org
2. Olesya Zhuravleva, Project Assistant, Spotlight Initiative Regional Program for the countries of Central Asia tel.: +7 701 6043001, e-mail: olessya.redkina@undp.org
