‘The Concept and Measurement of Violence against Women and Men’, a new book published today by Policy Press, addresses the extent to which violence against women is currently hidden.
It also examines how violence should be measured, how research and new ways of thinking about violence could improve its measurement and how improved measurement could change policy.
The book offers practical guidance on definitions, indicators and coordination mechanisms, including for the measurement of femicide, rape, domestic violence, and FGM.
It reflects on the theoretical debates: ‘what is gender’, ‘what is violence’ and ‘the concept of coercive control’, and introduces the concept of ‘gender saturated context’.
By analysing the socially constructed nature of statistics and the links between knowledge and power, we aim to set new standards and guidelines to influence the measurement of violence in the coming decades.
An open access version of the book, written by a team, led by Lancaster University, including Sylvia Walby, Jude Towers, Susie Balderston, Consuelo Corradi, Brian Francis, Markku Heiskanen, Karin Helweg-Larsen, Lut Mergaert, Philippa Olive, Emma Palmer, Heidi Stöckl and Sofia Strid is available for free download here: https://oapen.org/search?identifier=623150.