Globally, violence against women is a leading cause of premature death and morbidity for women. Almost one-third of women report experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) or sexual violence by a non-partner at some point in their life, and nearly 40 percent of all homicides of women are committed by an intimate partner.

Despite the scope of the problem, little is known about how to reduce IPV, and the evidence that exists has not revealed the underlying mechanisms that work and why. Many of the existing programs are very broad in scope, and most evaluations of these programs have not “unpacked” their various components. Innovative methods for IPV reduction are needed to address this pervasive problem.

In addition to a lack of evidence about what works, accurately measuring IPV and related outcomes is often challenging. Research is needed to validate existing tools, standardize best practices, and to test innovative approaches that may improve measurement.

Read about IPA's Intimate Partner Violence Research Initiative here.