Interventions to prevent violence against women and girls globally: a global systematic review of reviews to update the RESPECT women framework

The field of violence against women and girls (VAWG) prevention research has rapidly advanced, with ample evidence now demonstrating that VAWG is preventable. The aim of this systematic review of reviews is to update the evidence that underpins the RESPECT women framework with the newest available evidence from 2013 onward. 

Academic and non-academic databases were searched using terms related to VAWG prevention (January 2013–April 2022). Evaluations had to have a target population of women or girls aged 10 and older. From the thousands of articles screened, 178 were included in this study. Little new evidence has emerged to meaningfully change the nature and strength of evidence for interventions related to relationship skills strengthening and poverty reduction. However, there is new evidence to reflect the effectiveness of select types of interventions across settings in the other five strategies.

Despite progress in VAWG prevention research, significant gaps in the evidence base persist. Further research is needed to explore intervention areas and marginalised populations in various contexts. Several programmatic approaches exhibiting efficacy in low-income and middle-income countries remain unexplored and unevaluated in high-income countries, and vice versa, warranting further adaptation and evaluation.

This systematic review of reviews was conducted with the express purpose of updating the evidence underpinning the UN interagency RESPECT women framework, which serves as global guidance for VAWG policy-makers and practitioners.

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