Gender Counts: Assessing Global Armed Violence Datasets

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Submitted by Small Arms Survey

Sound and timely gender-relevant data is key for adequately and comprehensively addressing armed violence. Global databases have the potential to highlight relevant gendered dynamics, but currently lack crucial information related to the sex and gender of victims as well as the context of the violent events monitored. 'Gender Counts: Assessing Global Armed Violence Datasets', a new Briefing Paper from the Small Arms Survey, highlights these knowledge gaps and indicates ways towards filling them.

Reviewing global, regional, and national datasets on lethal violence—including on homicides, and conflict-related fatalities—the study finds that gender relevance of the available data across the board is still low. However, recent developments in the 'Data Revolution' connected to efforts to implement the 2030 Agenda have demonstrated that it is possible to move in the direction of better data on the gendered dimensions of violence. Increasing political support and civil society commitments have started producing more gender-relevant data for a range of related lethal violence, small arms, and gender indicators. The study therefore sees room for optimism, and data for gender analyses will likely be more inclusive and gender-relevant in the near future.

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  • The Small Arms Survey's Global Violent Deaths (GVD) Database
    Small Arms Survey
    Time Period of the Dataset [?]: December 31, 2018-December 31, 2018 ... More
    Modified [?]: 10 June 2020
    Dataset Added on HDX [?]: 12 July 2017
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    This dataset updates: Never
    The Small Arms Survey tracks statistics on violent deaths and compiles them in its Global Violent Deaths (GVD) database. Within the framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), states have pledged to ‘[p]romote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels’ (SDG 16). The first target identified under this goal, Target 16.1, commits all states to ‘[s]ignificantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere'. The GVD database, updated annually, provides a tool for assessing progress in implementing Target 16.1. It contains data starting from 2004 and includes datasets on direct conflict deaths, homicides, violent deaths by firearms—including the prevalence of firearms-related killings of women, as well as figures for women victims of lethal violence more generally. The database contains data from 2004 and includes direct conflict deaths and homicide data sets as well data on 'unintentional homicides' and 'legal interventions deaths'. The database served as the backbone of the Global Burden of Armed Violence reports. Data will be updated and shared once a year.