Making Progress in Prevention Possible – A monitoring framework for the prevention of violence against women and girls in the Asia-Pacific region

Despite widespread acceptance and pervasiveness, violence against women and girls (VAWG) is preventable. For the past two decades, researchers and practitioners have designed and piloted interventions to prevent violence before it occurs and mitigate its consequences. There is now enough evidence to illustrate that not only can VAWG be prevented, but – as long as there is sustained commitment – it can be prevented within programmatic timeframes. There is a need for monitoring progress on prevention. Using quality data to monitor prevention supports a more precise tracking of change toward the long-term goal of eliminating VAWG and increases accountability and shared approaches in national and regional prevention interventions. This document, developed by UN Women and The Equality Institute, responds to the need for a prevention monitoring framework contextualized to the Asia-Pacific region using an intersectional and whole-of-population approach. The purpose of this monitoring framework is to guide policymakers and practitioners through the key components for building a prevention framework that is contextually relevant to countries in the Asia-Pacific region, and to illustrate how to measure change in the short, medium and long term.