Statistical Terms Glossary

A person, group, or institution that directly inflicts, supports and condones violence or other abuse against a person or a group of persons. Perpetrators are in a position of real or perceived power, decision-making and/or authority and can thus exert control over their victims (UNHCR, 2003).

Persons found guilty by any legal body duly authorised to do so under national law, whether the conviction was later upheld or not. This should exclude convicted juveniles.

Physical acts of abusive behaviour and/or threats of abuse such as: pushing, grabbing, shoving, hair-pulling, hitting, slapping, beating up, kicking, burning, choking, using a weapon, or threats of the above.

The freedom to make decisions regarding sexuality, reproduction and the right to live a life free from violence.

Physical violence is an act attempting to or resulting in pain and/or physical injury. It includes beating, burning, kicking, punching, biting, maiming, the use of objects or weapons, or tearing out hair. At its most extreme, physical violence may lead to femicide, or the gender-based killing of a woman. Some classifications also include trafficking and slavery in the category of physical violence because initial coercion is often experienced, and the young women and men involved end up becoming victims of further violence as a result of their enslavement.

Refers to the civil subdivision of a country (district, county, municipality and province, department, state) in which a live birth or death, foetal death, marriage or divorce takes place.

Refers to the civil subdivision of a country (district, county, municipality, province, department, state) in which the individual resides.

Violence that is denounced condemned or prohibited by the laws of states or the laws between states (Sjoberg and Gentry, 2007). This means the use of force and violence (by people or agents of the state) against people or things in order to achieve political goals. It may be considered a form of psychological violence.

Or affirmative actions: measures aimed at a specific group that are designed to eliminate discrimination and prevent it, or to help resolve disadvantages which derive from traditional positions, behaviour and structures (also wrongly referred to as "positive discrimination").In employment, affirmative action may also be known as employment equity. In this context affirmative action requires that institutions increase hiring and promotion of candidates of mandated groups.

Action aimed at favouring access by members of certain categories of people, in this particular case, women, to rights which they are guaranteed, to the same extent as members of other categories, in this particular case, men.

Educating parents on children’s rights and development to improve parenting practices, with the goal of ending violence, abuse and exploitation of children. Helping parents improve their skills to manage their children's behaviour. Positive parenting is the foundation for curbing violence at home and in the community. It encourages the engagement of fathers and men and considers the various stages of a child’s life cycle.

Refers to a UN-led process that aims to help define the future global development framework that will succeed the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which expire in 2015.

Poverty gap is the mean shortfall of the total population from the poverty line (counting the nonpoor as having zero shortfall), expressed as a percentage of the poverty line. This measure reflects the depth of poverty as well as its incidence.
The indicator is often described as measuring the per capita amount of resources needed to eliminate poverty, or reduce the poor’s shortfall from the poverty line to zero, through perfectly targeted cash transfers.

Power involves the ability, skill or capacity to make decisions and take action; physical force or strength. The exercise of power is an important aspect of relationships. The more power a person has, the more choices are available to that person. People who have less power have fewer choices and are therefore more vulnerable to abuse. When women’s movements, feminist groups and development organizations help people acquire “power” individually and collectively, they do not necessarily understand power in its traditional sense of domination or “power over.” Instead, they have agreed that there are several kinds of power involved in the empowerment process. These four dimensions are called: power over, power to, power with and power from within.

Social or political power which highlights the notion of common purpose or understanding, as well as the ability to get together to negotiate and defend a common goal (individual and collective rights, political ideas such as lobbying, etc.). Collectively, people feel they have power when they can get together and unite in search of a common objective, or when they share the same vision.

This notion of power refers to self-awareness, self-esteem, identity and assertiveness (knowing how to be). It refers to how individuals, through self-analysis and internal power, can influence their lives and make changes.

Needs defined by women (or men) that respond to immediate necessities such as adequate living conditions, water provision, health care and employment.

Treatment of one individual or group of individuals in a manner that is likely to lead to greater benefits, access, rights, opportunities or status than those of another individual or group of individuals.

Attitudes and feelings − whether positive or negative and whether conscious or non-conscious − that people have about members of other groups, which may be based on preconceived ideas and influenced by elements such as gender, race, class, personal characteristics or other factors.

Harmful practice driven by the tradition of patrilineal inheritance in many societies, coupled with a reliance on boys to provide economic support, to ensure security in old age and to perform death rites.

Prison population is the population of incarcerated people, awaiting trial or adjudication, and/or imprisoned offenders, given as of one day which may be considered typical for the whole year. All prisoners, except those in youth/juvenile detention centres.

Prisons refer to all penal and correctional institutions wherein offenders and alleged offenders are deprived of their liberty. Youth/juvenile detention centres are excluded.

Many types of measures to promote or achieve gender equality that are alternatives to a complaints-led model in being forward-looking requiring from bodies, such as public authorities and employers, to take the initiative rather than merely respond to complaints.

The systematic application of gender analysis methods to health problems to better understand how life conditions, opportunities and environments affect the health of women and men and boys and girls.

Fast legal remedy to protect persons at risk of any form of violence by prohibiting, restraining or prescribing certain behaviour by the perpetrator.

Legislative and other measures aimed to protect victims as well as their families and witnesses from any further form of violence and re-victimisation or secondary victimisation, at all stages of investigations and judicial proceedings.

Involves causing fear by intimidation; threatening physical harm to self, partner or children; destruction of pets and property; “mind games”; or forcing isolation from friends, family, school and/or work.

Assault that can vary from threats of violence and harm to emotional abuse. Emotional abuse is a tactic of control based on a wide variety of verbal attacks, humiliations or affective neglect, following a pattern of coercive behaviour towards the woman victim.

Psychological violence can include, for example, threatening behaviours that do not necessarily involve physical violence or even verbal abuse. It can include actions that refer to former acts of violence, or purposeful ignorance and neglect of the other. Psychological violence may also be perpetrated through isolation or confinement, withholding information, disinformation, etc.

Dichotomy that arises from its gendered nature, and from the association of masculinity and the public, and femininity and the private.