Statistical Terms Glossary

Irrational fear of gender non-conformity or gender transgression, such as a fear of, or aversion to, masculine women, feminine men, cross-dressers, transgenderises, transsexuals, and others who do not fit into existing gender stereotypes about their birth gender.

Person who prefers another gender than their birth gender and feels the need to undergo physical alterations to the body to express this feeling, such as hormone treatment and/or surgery.

These terms refer to the fact that women tend to work longer and more fragmented days than men as they are usually involved in three different gender roles - reproductive, productive and community work.

An official body, usually set up by states after periods of state-perpetrated violence, whose main task is to establish a record of wrongdoing as part of an overall process of catharsis and reconciliation. Such commissions are sometimes empowered to grant full or partial amnesty in exchange for full disclosure, but this practice is rare. Some commissions also address issues of reparation and rehabilitation.

Is the type of act, ceremony or process by which the legal relationship of husband and wife is constituted, that is, whether civil, civil religious, religious only or customary.

Violence varies by types according to sexual, psychological, physical and economic violence occurring in the family, within the general community, perpetrated or condoned by the state (UNICEF, 2000). The type of violence indicates the means used to impose discipline, or to impose the concept of who is in control. The terms "forms" and "types" of gender-based violence (or abuse) are often used as synonyms, even in the international literature. However, it has been approved in the discussion sessions on the use of the word "form" referring to the framework in which violence occurs and the word "type" to refer to the means used to impose authority. For example, if we say Ms X was beaten by her husband, physical violence will be the type of violence and domestic or marital violence would be the form.

The programme targets adolescent girls (ages 10-19) at risk of child marriage or already in union, in 12 selected countries: Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Yemen and Zambia.

The largest global joint programme to accelerate the abandonment of FGM/C. Initiated in 2007, the programme focuses on 17 African countries and supports regional and global initiatives.

UNICEF regional offices have identified specific goals and targets to work towards specific ‘headline results’. These results are internal measurements for critical development areas in the region. UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia (ROSA) headline results are: 1) Save New-borns, 2) Stop Stunting, 3) Educate All Girls and Boys, 4) End Child Marriage, 5) Stop Open Defecation and 6) End Polio.

It establishes an accountability framework for assessing the effectiveness of gender mainstreaming by the UNCT. The Scorecard is focused on the performance of the UNCT, rather than the performance of anyone United Nations organization. It intends to provide an assessment of what the United Nations as a whole contributes to gender mainstreaming and consequently to the promotion of gender equality. It is intended to complement existing accountability frameworks. The focus of the Scorecard is on strategies and processes –that is gender mainstreaming –rather than development results. Achievement of development results on gender equality and women’s empowerment must be led by national partners, with support from the UNCT.

A multi-stakeholder partnership committed to improving the quality and availability of girls’ education and contributing to the empowerment of girls and women through education. The UNGEI Secretariat is hosted by UNICEF in New York City.

Is a UN system-wide framework to enhance accountability and measure progress towards the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of women in the work of the United Nations entities. It is a unified framework that applies equally to all entities, departments, offices and funds and programmes of the United Nations system. The UN-SWAP includes a set of 15 system-wide performance indicators that establish a common understanding of what it means to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of women and a common method to work towards it.

The United Nations set a common standard on human rights with the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. Although this Declaration is not part of binding international law, its acceptance by all countries around the world gives great moral weight to the fundamental principle that all human beings, rich and poor, strong and weak, female and male, of all races and religions, are to be treated equally and with respect.

Procedures for terminating a pregnancy performed either by persons lacking the necessary skills or in an environment lacking the basic medical and standard sanitary conditions, or both.

A person who is directly affected by violence (The Prevention of Domestic Violence Act, 1997). However, the term "direct victim" refers to the direct recipients of violence, and the "indirect victim" refers to the person affected by violence such as being affected by scenes of violence on TV or such as children affected by viewing violence occurring between their parents. Other terms that are sometimes used instead of the survivor: victim, recipient of violence, to indicate the different stages that can be experienced by a person who is subject to violence. However, the current practice in scholarly literature and the recommendations of the principles for dealing with individuals subject to violence, is the use of the word "survivor" when referring to the recipient of violence, regardless of the reaction of the recipient, since the word victim suggests weakness, compassion and surrendering while the word "survivor" suggests resilience and strength. Thus, the term "survivor" has positive connotations which helps the recipient on one hand to increase his/her self-confidence and reminds the care provider not to deal with the recipient as subordinate.

‘Victim-blaming’ exists to a certain degree with all forms of violence. In order not to question the safety of the world around us when we hear of a violent incident, we may examine the behaviour of the victim and assure ourselves that if we avoid such risks and behaviour (e.g. being out late alone, venturing into certain areas, leaving our door unlocked, dressing in a ‘provocative’ way) we will avoid violence. This natural act of psychological self-defence, however, focuses our attention on the perceived responsibility of the victim, and may neglect to fully question the conduct of the perpetrator. By shifting the blame to the victim in gender-based violence, the focus is on the victim, often a woman, and her behaviour, rather than on the structural causes and inequalities underlying the violence perpetrated against her.

Any adverse treatment (including dismissal in cases of unequal treatment at work) in reaction to a complaint.

The intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm or maldevelopment or deprivation. The terms “abuse” and “violence” are often used as synonyms, yet it was agreed in discussion sessions to use the word abuse to refer to the broader concept of maltreatment (violence, neglect, exploitation, assault…).

Defined as any act of “gender-based violence that results in or is likely to result in physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of acts such as coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life.” Violence against women includes domestic violence, child marriage, forced pregnancy, “honour” crimes, female genital mutilation, femicide, sexual and other violence perpetrated by someone other than an intimate partner (also referred to as non-partner violence), sexual harassment (in the workplace, other institutions and in public spaces), trafficking in women and violence in conflict situations.

Violence experienced by women and girls during armed conflict, ranging from physical, sexual to psychological violence perpetrated by both state and non-state actors including murder, unlawful killings, torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, abductions, maiming and mutilation, forced recruitment of women combatants, rape, sexual slavery, sexual exploitation, involuntary disappearance, arbitrary detention, forced marriage, forced prostitution, forced abortion, forced pregnancy and forced sterilisation.

Any action, incident or behaviour that departs from reasonable conduct in which a person is assaulted, threatened, harmed, injured in the course of, or as a direct result of, his or her work:
• Internal workplace violence is that which takes place between workers, including managers and supervisors.
• External workplace violence is that which takes place between workers (and managers and supervisors) and any other person present at the workplace.

The way that violence is distributed over time in terms of frequency, severity, or type of violent episode.

Women, children and persons belonging, or perceived to belong, to groups that are in a disadvantaged position or marginalised.

Is a form of physical violence, causing harm or a loss of an organ’s function, by a husband against his wife.

A global online collaborative platform linking policymakers and experts from both developed and developing countries to find solutions to advance gender equality. It provides a centralized space for knowledge exchange on key emerging issues, with a strong focus on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and in particular on SDG 5(Achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls). Both English and French speakers worldwide can discuss current issues, relevant research and emerging trends on gender equality.

Women-headed households are households where either no adult men are present, owing to divorce, separation, migration, non-marriage, or widowhood; or where the men, although present, do not contribute to the household income, because of illness or disability, old age, alcoholism or similar incapacity (but not because of unemployment). Household headship has ‘real’ (de facto) and ‘perceived’ (de jure) dimensions. The de facto head is the main decision-maker responsible for financial support and welfare of the household. The de jure head, traditionally associated with the man ‘breadwinner’, is a person who usually lives with the household and is recognized as head of household by its other members. Often implicit in woman’s headship is the perceived problematic of the de facto status running counter to the established de jure norm, that is, man’s headship.

Key concept in women’s studies and feminist theory, with a focus on topics of control over women’s bodies, corporeal diversities, and critiques of gender dichotomy and essentialism.

A Women in Development (WID) approach is based on the concept that women are marginalized in development-oriented interventions, with the result that women are often excluded from the benefits of development. Hence, the overall objective is to ensure that resources and interventions for development are used to improve the condition and position of women. The WID approach, however, does not necessarily result in changing male-female hierarchal gender relations. Rather, it intends to support women-specific practical needs, such as women’s skills development for income generation. The fact that WID approaches do not analyse and address power differentials in the relationship between women and men is seen as a major shortcoming of this approach. WID-oriented programmes are often contrasted to Gender and Development (GAD)-oriented programmes.

WIEGO is a global research-policy network that seeks to improve the status of the working poor, especially women, in the informal economy. It does so by highlighting the size, composition, characteristics, and contribution of the informal economy through improved statistics and research; by helping to strengthen membership-based organizations of informal workers; and by promoting policy dialogues and processes that include representatives of informal workers’ organizations. Its five programme areas are: Global Markets, Organization and Representation, Social Protection, Statistics, and Urban Policies.
The Members and Associates of the WIEGO network, including the members of its Steering Committee and Advisory Committees, are drawn from its three constituencies: (a) membership-based organizations of informal workers; (b) research, statistical, and academic institutions; and (c) international development agencies (non-governmental and inter-governmental).

Specialised service that provides non-residential support of any kind (including information, advice, counselling, practical support, court accompaniment, legal information, proactive support, and outreach) to women victims of any form of violence, and for their children.