Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI)

The SVRI is one of the largest global networks for advancing research on violence against women, violence against children, and other forms of violence driven by gender inequality. Founded in 2003, the SVRI brings together a diverse group of actors a e SVRI brings together a diverse group of actors aiming to achieve a world free of violence against women and violence against children through improved practices and prevention programmes informed by evidence, with a focus on low and middle-income countries. We do this through building evidence, strengthening research capacity, promoting partnerships and influencing change. Our work is guided by the SVRI’s Strategic Plan 2025 – 2030. We are a feminist, women-led, non-profit organisation under South African law (SVRI NPC 2019/197466/08). Support and fund innovative research on VAW and VAC in low and middle-income countries | Identify, amplify, debate and disseminate new knowledge and trends in the field Who we are: The largest network on research on violence against women and violence against children including researchers, practitioners, donors, activists, and policy makers across the globe. What we do: We are a field building network. We support and fund evidence building and generation. We gather, curate and distil and disseminate evidence and knowledge for improving policy and practice. We provide spaces and facilitate knowledge exchange to develop innovations to strengthen prevention of and response to violence against women and violence against children in low- and middle-income countries. Where we do it: SVRI intentionally and unapologetically supports research led by researchers in LMICs. SVRI’s operational centre is in South Africa. Why we do it: Violence against women and violence against children undermine the fundamental human rights of women and children, can cause irreparable physical and emotional harm – even death – and impacts individuals and communities over generations. Gender based violence can prevent women and children from accessing education, employment and other opportunities, and hinder women’s participation in political spaces. The substantial economic and development costs of VAW and VAC further widen the gender inequality divide within and across countries and global regions and impede development. How we do it: We are committed to building the field by providing research grants along with bespoke training, technical accompaniment and facilitating knowledge exchanges between grantees and other stakeholders; hosting the SVRI Forum every two years; providing multiple platforms for networking, support, information and technical guidance to practitioners/researchers in the field; convening meetings and facilitating collaboration between researchers, practitioners, donors, policy makers and other key decision makers, and developing tools and methods to support ethical, rigorous and impactful research, as well as, where needed, challenging currently accepted ways of doing research. Our Vision We envision a world where women and children in all their diversity live free from violence. Our Mission Our mission is to catalyse a high-impact, collaborative, and nurturing field to advance research on violence against women and violence against children. SVRI Principles Collaborative SVRI fosters partnerships and cooperation across diverse fields, disciplines, and geographies to enhance collective impact and shared learning. Feminist SVRI promotes feminist principles by challenging power imbalances. We acknowledge the impact of trauma on survivors/victims, researchers of violence, and our communities. Equitable We strive to redress the imbalance of research resources and power between high-, middle-, and low-income countries and amplify diverse voices from LMICs, including researchers, survivors/victims, and populations at greater risk of violence. Accountable SVRI holds itself accountable to survivors, its members, LMIC researchers, and those impacted the most by inequalities in research. Ethical SVRI ensures all its activities and the activities of its grantees follow the highest ethical and safety standards. Intersectional SVRI recognises and aims to address the interconnected nature of social marginalisation and oppression based on ethnicity, race, class, disability, age, and other categories as well as gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation. Our Code of Conduct The SVRI’s Code of Conduct outlines standards of behaviour and practice for all SVRI staff, Board members, Leadership Council members, consultants, volunteers, partners, grant recipients and SVRI membership (from here on referred to as “stakeholders”) to ensure together we: Promote and work to deliver on the SVRI’s vision and mission and do so in accordance with the SVRI’s principles; Maintain the highest standards of ethics, governance, integrity, and accountability; Create a feminist network that embraces learning, promotes gender equity, partnership, diversity and kindness and fosters trust; and, Provide assurance that the SVRI is ethical, reliable, transparent, and accountable in all that we do. ...view more