ABOUT US
The SVRI is the world’s largest evidence building network on violence against women (VAW) and violence against children (VAC), providing a space where global role players in the field connect with one another, promote their research, work to influence policies, and improve the lives of those who have experienced violence driven by gender inequality. We do this through sharing and building evidence, strengthening research capacity, promoting partnerships and influencing change. Our work is guided by the SVRI’s Strategic Plan 2020 – 2024.
2022
Four key goals underscore our strategy:
Building Evidence
The SVRI works to advance evidence and evidence uptake on key priority areas for research on violence against women and violence against children, through curating and disseminating knowledge and grant-making. Projects are selected through an open call for proposals, and guided by clear selection criteria and expert peer-review processes. The SVRI plays an important role as a knowledge broker in the field and works to promote discussion, debate, collaboration, innovation, and sharing of insight on what does and does not work.
Strengthening capacity
Strengthening research capacity for research on violence against women and children is central to our work. We do this through capacity building workshops at the SVRI Forum, and offer online courses and ongoing support to SVRI research grantee partners. All training is delivered by researchers and experts, primarily from low- and middle-income countries.
Promoting partnerships
The SVRI disseminates research resources and materials via our listserv, website and other social networking platforms, and is developing a virtual knowledge exchange platform to provide online opportunities for engagement across sectors. We also host the world’s key research conference in the field, the SVRI Forum, every two to three years, which serves to bring the field together to share, learn and connect. Funding is also used to support SVRI Forum bursaries for new and emerging researchers and researchers from low- and middle-income countries.
Influencing change
The SVRI influences change by strengthening knowledge and understanding among donors, key influencers and decision makers of why research is critical for policies and programmes. In addition, the SVRI advocates for more and better funding to be made available for research on violence against women and violence against children in low- and middle-income countries. This is done through developing tools to guide better funding for research, and raising funds for grant-making, including the identification of research priorities through inclusive, participatory processes facilitated by SVRI and partners.
OUR PEOPLE
The SVRI’s 8500-plus members include researchers, practitioners, donors, activists, and policy makers across the globe. We are governed by a Board of Directors that provides financial oversight and strategic direction while our Leadership Council is composed of 9-11 highly accomplished and passionate individuals from around the world. From a small, highly skilled team in South Africa, a global footprint is achieved. The SVRI works with multiple key strategic partners including funders, global, regional and local feminist/gender-based violence networks and organisations, universities, research institutions and development partners.
SVRI is a feminist, women-led, non-profit organisation under South African law (SVRI NPC 2019/197466/08).
Annual reports
2021/22: Championing research for a safer, kinder, more egalitarian world
2020/21: Delivering Research in a Pandemic SVRI Annual Report 2020/2021
Mid-term evaluation report
Mid-term Evaluation Report of the SVRI’s strategic plan 2020-2024
