Economic Costs of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is a considerable challenge in all Commonwealth countries, and one that the Heads of Government have highlighted as a priority which must be addressed. The Commonwealth’s four priorities on gender equality for 2017-2020 and beyond include ending VAWG.The Commonwealth priorities on gender equality for 2017 and beyond includes ending VAWG.  The Strategic Plan includes a specific intermediate outcome (3.4) on it, and with gender mainstreaming being a cross-cutting outcome.

As global attention continues to increase on ending VAWG, so too does the demand for more and better data to inform and address it. Policy makers and development agencies want VAWG data to enable informed decisions on where and how to target funding and other support. For example, information on the nature of VAWG and the availability of core services can be used to support services within the relevant response sector(s), such as health or legal systems. Perpetrator data and information on the times and locations of incidents of violence can inform prevention efforts and enable more specific advocacy for policy change.

While it has been estimated that VAWG has cost the global economy US$8 trillion, there are few studies, particularly of developing countries, that outline the national-level economic impacts and associated costs of such violence.  Globally, the costing studies that exist tend to concentrate on developed OECD economies, and no comprehensive studies exists for the majority of Commonwealth countries.  Where research does exist for developing economies, this mainly focuses on domestic violence.  Furthermore, as different parameters are measured from country to country, this makes comparisons very difficult.

Some countries' have limited capacity (analytical capabilities for policy-making, programme development and data collection frameworks and analysis) to determine the economic cost of VAWG and the lack of such evidence affects the ability of governments to prioritise plans and projects aimed at ending VAWG, despite VAWG affecting approximately one in three women globally.  Not discounting vulnerable groups, for example women disabilities, whom are at a much higher risk of violence than the non-disabled.

The project aims to contribute towards achievement of the Commonwealth's commitment to advance gender equality through ending VAWG as well as SDG5 specifically targets 5.2 and 5.3 respectively:

5.2 eliminate all forms of VAWG in public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation.

5.3 eliminate all harmful practices, such as CEFM and FGM.

The project promotes the establishment of a framework/methodology for assessment of the economic costs of VAWG, processes for assessment and the strengthening of national information systems with specific indicators on the economic costs of violence against women and girls for policy coordination. Learning from experience gained will be shared to facilitate South-South cooperation and transfer of knowledge among the Small States member states of the Commonwealth.
  
In this regard, the project would review existing frameworks/methodologies for measuring the economic costs of VAWG to develop a simple and standard one for the same purpose for selected Commonwealth countries.  The framework to be developed is one that should be able to consider intimate partner violence (IPV), but also non-partner violence faced by women and girls in schools, workplaces and/or public places.  The framework is expected to move beyond aggregating costs to individual women and families, to estimating the overall macroeconomic impact of VAWG.

This will be achieved through measuring the prevalence and cost of VAWG throughout the life cycle.  There are 'direct' and 'indirect' costs associated with governments and civil societies response to VAWG across justice, health, social services, education, business and personal/household sectors.  These costs may be 'service costs' associated with prevention and treatment of VAWG; 'transfer costs' associated with reduced tax revenue stemming from the lower productivity of survivors; through to 'second generation costs' applying to children that witness domestic violence, who need child protection services, and are possibly at a heightened risk of delinquency and criminality which in itself has longer term associated cost.  Pain, suffering and premature mortality are also things that can be measured if required.

The framework would assist the project countries in assessing the economic costs of VAWG through data analysis  that would support them with the targeted indicators for SDG 5.2 and 5.3 which are:
Prevalence of girls and women 15-49 who have experienced physical or sexual violence [by an intimate partner] in the last 12 months
Percentage of referred cases of sexual and gender-based violence against women and children that are investigated and sentenced
Violent injuries and deaths per 100,000 population
Percentage of women aged 20-24 who were married or in a union by age 18
Percentage of girls and women aged 15-49 years who have undergone FGM.

Knowing the economic costs of VAWG for member states is beneficial in so many ways:

Firstly, assessing the economic costs of VAWG contributes to preventing violence through identifying the cost of inaction and provides strong arguments to governments that investing in prevention programmes that treat the causes of VAWG are far more economical and cost-effective than treating the symptoms. 
 
Secondly, it demonstrates that preventing VAWG and investing in gender equality and empowerment is vital for economic growth and sustainable development. Women’s participation in the economy can be increased and opportunities for their leadership can be encouraged and supported. Women’s economic empowerment boosts productivity, increases economic diversification and income equality in addition to other positive development outcomes.

Thirdly, addressing states' VAWG data and information needs has multiple benefits:

It provides a tool that would generate results that allows for an understanding of where data and information is missing. 

Affords the opportunity to provide evidence using VAWG data/information practices in the Commonwealth member stares and reflect the interconnectedness of the individual aspects of VAWG. 

The use of the data will have multiple purposes in terms of state party reporting and fulfilling international commitments – for example, the SDGs of the  2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; CEDAW; CRC; UPR amongst others as well as reporting at regional level.

It allows action to be taken on new and emerging areas – for example, 1) integrating a gender dimension in preventing violent extremism and terrorism – i.e. women facing kidnappings, forced marriage / rape / pregnancies, violence, mental / physical abuse and coercion to be suicide bombers; and 2) also highlighting the particular vulnerabilities of disabled women and girls to violence. 

As a membership organisation, the Commonwealth states can share information between each other. 

Reaffirms focus and channels momentum behind establishing an organisational culture to address VAWG. Puts in place a three-point plan:
Establish framework to measure the economic costs of VAWG;
Implementation of framework to calculate the economic costs of VAWG;
Provide cost-effective solutions for reducing and preventing VAWG.