Happily, the SVRI’s 21st anniversary coincides with the launch of our new website! The SVRI website is our window to the world, providing you with everything about research and matters related to violence against women (VAW) and violence against children (VAC). The new website is responsive across all devices, more accessible and user-friendly than ever with some exciting new features and so much more…
More user friendly
After much testing and trialing, the website is now more user friendly and easier to navigate – making it simpler to find what you’re looking for. Whether you’re looking for something specific, which can be found with a quick search using the search function, allowing you to search for anything on the site or global library, or you just want to browse – the website has something for everyone working on VAW and VAC and other forms of violence driven by gender inequality.
More appealing
We have given the website a refresh and reset, with a new, more vibrant, modern aesthetic. Don’t worry, the beautiful flowers from the old website remain – we have just updated them. Take a look and tell us what you think!
More accessible
As the SVRI has a global network of over 10 800 members with a diverse array of people, it’s crucial that the website is as accessible as possible, and the new SVRI website does not disappoint. Users can now translate the website into various languages of their choice. The languages include English, Russian, Dutch, Chinese (simplified), Arabic, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Portuguese. The new website is also responsive across all devices and can be used effectively with low bandwidth, meaning it can be used from anywhere at any time.
More tools
Another new feature is the ‘Research Methods and Tools’ section of the website. As VAW and VAC are such sensitive topics, it is important that research is conducted as ethically and safely as possible, making this section of the website a key offer to the field. In this section there is guidance for researchers in the field as well as ethical and safety precaution guidelines.
Where appropriate the SVRI strongly encourages the use of secondary data to answer your research questions. Use of existing data to help answer existing research priorities shows respect to the people who have shared their stories with us. As such we have compiled existing data sets you can access. We are also gathering questionnaires, screening tools, checklists, instruments, or surveys that have been developed and tested so you don’t have to recreate methods that already exist. This is a section that everyone should make use of and with its user-friendliness, there is no reason not to.
More opportunities to showcase your work
Similarly to the previous website, resources from all around the world can be found in the global library page – sorted by theme. The global map has been revamped – allowing you to find publications by country. Users can also see an overview of all publications and where they were published on an interactive map.
The new grantmaking page contains a map showcasing all SVRI Grantee partners along with the research and practice outputs these studies have produced. Projects on the map can be filtered by topics such as “conflict and humanitarian crises” or “intersections between VAW and VAC”. For added convenience, you can also filter these resources by year published, region, countries, and projects. The map provides a visualisation of the impact these projects are having on a global scale.
Don’t forget to share your work with us for inclusion on the website.
More inspiration
If you’re looking for some inspiration, the new classics page is the place to go. The classics page contains the influencers’ shelf which has blogs, podcasts, journal articles and more that inspired, and continue to inspire, research in our field. The resources found on the shelf were sent in by SVRI members. Please help us to continue populating this page by sharing resources that have inspired and/or inspire you.
More safe
As many of us are survivors or may be experiencing violence, for your safety a quick escape button sits at the top of the site that immediately takes you to a new, unrelated webpage should reading a site on VAW/VAC put you at risk.
Overall, the new SVRI website is more accessible, user-friendly, and inclusive than ever before because of its new design and unique features such as the grantmaking page, the global library and global map, and the ability to translate the website into a variety of languages. I would strongly encourage you to visit the new website, share your resources and share your opinions!
Written by Natasha Stern
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About the Author:
I am currently a student at the University of St Andrews in Scotland studying a joint honours degree in psychology and mathematics. During my “summer” holiday, I have been interning at the SVRI as I think that the work they do is really important. I am passionate about the environment, animal welfare and mental health and enjoy spending my free time reading and volunteering.