INTRODUCTION

Sexual violence is a pervasive public health and human rights issue with potential serious effects on physical and mental health, and social well-being. Unfortunately, there are often few available data on prevalence, risk and protective factors, and consequences to survivors. This lack of data and the paucity of programming approaches which have been assessed may result in interventions that are not effective and may negatively impact the fight to end impunity and achieve justice for survivors. In settings affected by conflict and other humanitarian crises, the challenges to obtaining data to inform prevention of and response to sexual violence may be magnified.

The increasing attention to sexual violence as a tactic of armed conflict has contributed to increasing demands for data on sexual violence in conflict settings. Data are being requested by a range of different actors for different reasons. Many of the demands and the responses to them do not take into account the limitations of available data and the feasibility of collecting other data. This increased demand for data and the actions taken to respond to it raise methodological and other ethical issues including ethical, safety and methodological issues related to collection, sharing and use of data.

This chapter explores some of the key sources of data which may be available at country level and the limits to what they can tell us about sexual violence in the setting (methodological limitations). It will also identify ethical issues related to data collection and sharing, and discuss the development and content of recommendations to inform those who are collecting, using or supporting the collection of data on sexual violence. These are important for those involved in international criminal investigations and prosecutions both as users of existing data and collectors of new data.

BACKGROUND

Sexual violence in conflict is not a new phenomenon nor can it be entirely separated from sexual violence in the setting outside of the conflict. Sexual violence can occur during attacks on civilian populations, while people are fleeing fighting, and among those who are internally displaced or refugees whether in camps, urban settings, or living within host communities.