Violence against women and girls is a persistent human rights violation that not only threatens the security and safety of its victims, but also hinders women and girls around the world from being full and equal participants in society. The OSCE recognizes violence against women and girls (VAWG) as both a threat to individuals and a broader security concern, and acknowledges the need to tackle it to achieve comprehensive security, implement the Istanbul convention (if ratified) and reach the Sustainable Development Goals.

The lack of comparable data on violence against women has limited the ability of key actors to develop cross-regional initiatives aimed at improving policies and measures on the prevention of violence against women and girls and the protection of victims.

The data explorer presents the cross-regional, comparable findings of the OSCE-led Survey on the Wellbeing and Safety of Women, which was implemented in 2018 in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia, Moldova and Ukraine. The research was also conducted in Kosovo[1].

The survey included a quantitative and qualitative component and was undertaken to provide comparable data on different forms of violence women experience in their childhood and throughout their lives.