Pillars
Causes and Costs
The Causes and Costs Pillar identifies norms and beliefs associated with violence against women (VAW); high risk groups and contexts; repertoires of VAW; and contexts where no or little VAW occurs and why.
This pillar consists of three workstreams: Nature, Prevalence, and Change Over Time of VAW, Impact of Institutions on VAW and Social and Economic Costs of VAW.
The workstreams
Lead
Prof Jane Fisher
Chief Investigator
This workstream establishes the nature, prevalence, and determinants of experiences of VAW at a population level in three countries selected for their representation of diversity in the region. This workstream:
- identifies the risk and protective factors affecting change over time in prevalence and experiences of VAW through the first comprehensive VAW panel survey
- identifies evidence gaps in policy and addresses them through qualitative research and underutilised secondary datasets
- analyses and synthesises evidence from all survey waves to report to countries on progress in addressing VAW
Lead
Prof Astghik Mavisakalyan
Chief Investigator
Lack of institutional protection is an important cause of VAW. Yet, there is limited evidence on institutional configurations that can prevent VAW, how they arise, and conditions where their impact can be maximized. This workstream:
- analyses the content of national laws and policies addressing VAW
- explores the evolution of laws and policies addressing VAW
- evaluates the impact of laws and policies on prevalence and attitudes on VAW
- pilots a field experiment to improve the capacity of institutions to prevent VAW
Lead
Prof Asad Islam
Chief Investigator
Governments have spent significant funds on VAW interventions. However, the presumed benefits of most of these approaches have not been systematically evaluated. This workstream:
- builds the evidence base needed to understand the economic rationale for different interventions to reduce VAW
- synergises with the Responses Pillar to analyse which interventions in practice can reduce VAW
- designs and implements cutting-edge randomised field experiment methods to rigorously evaluate promising interventions piloted in the region
- tests and refines CEVAW’s theory-driven socio-structural framework and the different mechanisms for reducing violence
“Gender-based violence is the main under-recognised, but modifiable risk to women’s health and mental health across the life course. CEVAW enables this risk to be made visible and addressed.”
Professor Jane Fisher
Causes and Costs Pillar Lead
