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INTRODUCTION

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is the most common form of violence that women and girls face globally.
Given prevailing social norms that sanction male dominance over women, violence between intimate partners is often perceived as an ordinary or normal element of relationships, particularly in the context of marriage or other unions.
Prevalence data are required to measure the magnitude of the problem; understand the various forms of violence and their consequences; identify groups at high risk; explore the barriers to seeking help; and ensure that the appropriate responses are being provided. Such data is the starting point for informing laws, policies and developing effective responses and programmes. It also allows countries to monitor change over time and optimally target resources to maximize the effectiveness of interventions, especially in resource constrained settings.

IPV includes any abuse perpetrated by a current or former partner within the context of marriage, cohabitation or any other formal or informal union. It is currently measured by the Sustainable Development Goals indicator 5.2.1, under Goal 5 and Target 5.2 (box 1).
The different forms of violence included in the indicator are defined as follows

The different forms of violence included in the indicator are defined as follows:

1. Physical violence consists of acts aimed at physically hurting the victim and include, but are not limited to, acts like pushing, grabbing, twisting the arm, pulling hair, slapping, kicking, biting or hitting with a fist or object, trying to strangle or suffocate, burning or scalding on purpose, or threatening or attacking with some sort of weapon, gun or knife.

2. Sexual violence is defined as any sort of harmful or unwanted sexual behaviour that is imposed on someone, whether by use of force, intimidation or coercion. It includes acts of abusive sexual contact, forced engagement in sexual acts, attempted or completed sexual acts without consent, and non-contact acts such as being forced to watch or participate in pornography, etc. In intimate partner relationships, sexual violence is commonly defined as: being physically forced to have sexual intercourse, having sexual intercourse out of fear for what the partner might do or through coercion, and/or being forced to so something sexual that the woman considers humiliating or degrading.

3. Psychological violence consists of any act intended to induce fear or emotional distress caused by a person’s behaviour or act. It includes a range of behaviours that encompass acts of emotional abuse such as being frequently humiliated in public, intimidated or having things you care for destroyed, etc.
   These often coexist with acts of physical and sexual violence by intimate partners. In addition, surveys often measure controlling behaviours (e.g. being kept from seeing family or friends, or from seeking health care without permission).

Measurement of SDG indicator 5.2.1 relies on population-based household surveys that implements an internationally standardized methodology. The inclusion of a Domestic Violence Module in the Demographic and Health Surveys has provided a significant amount of data. Additional data comes from dedicated surveys on violence against women in countries that have implemented, for example, the World Health Organization’s violence against women survey methodology. Where available, other national-specific dedicated surveys are included if the data are deemed comparable.
UNFPA launched its first geospatial IPV dashboard on intimate partner violence (IPV) in December 2020, As reliable, comparable data on violence against women is essential to prevention and response efforts. It features data on the proportion of ever-partnered women who experienced IPV in the past 12 months. It uses the latest SDG indicator 5.2.1 data that governments have reported to the United Nations for the Sustainable Development Goals. Data in the IPV dashboard follows the definition in box 1.

The dashboard features sub-national data and disaggregated data by age, urban-rural employment, women’s highest level of education, and household wealth. This IPV dashboard offers the highest data coverage of any related source, including data for 119 countries covering all regions of the world (table 1). This is a powerful new tool to see where women are at greatest risk, and tailor programming accordingly.

The dashboard can be accessed at: [https:// pdp.unfpa.org/intimate-partner-violence/](https:// pdp.unfpa.org/intimate-partner-violence/).