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NIHR Global Health Research Group on Violence Against Women and Children

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The NIHR Global Health Research Group on Violence Against Women (VAW) and Violence Against Children VAC) is a collaborative initiative led by the University of Birmingham and the University of Cape Town, in partnership with the Lancet Commission. The project spans six countries—South Africa, Mexico, India, Brazil, Peru and Sri Lanka—and aims to co-produce trauma-informed research with survivors to understand, prevent, and mitigate the effects of violence in low-resource settings.

This four-year programme (2024–2028) is designed to build sustainable research capacity, influence global policy, and empower survivors through inclusive, context-sensitive engagement.

Capacity building

Capacity building is central to the project’s mission. Activities include:

  • Funded PhD and Master’s studentships across LMIC partner institutions.
  • Structured mentoring programmes for early career researchers (ECRs).
  • Annual training events and short courses on health data science, health economics, policy evaluation, and survivor engagement.
  • North–South and South–South knowledge exchange, facilitated by global experts and supported by the Lancet Commission.
  • Hosting multi-disciplinary workshops, short courses, and developing open-access resources to empower local researchers and institutions.

This investment ensures that future generations of researchers, practitioners, and policymakers are equipped to lead the prevention and response to violence globally.

Community and survivor engagement

Survivor involvement is embedded throughout the project. They are not just participants in our research – they are co-creators

  • Development of diverse, inclusive and sustainable survivor panels in each country.
  • Co-production of research outputs and dissemination materials.
  • Integrating survivor voices directly into healthcare systems and research priority setting
  • Trauma-informed safeguarding protocols and personalised support plans.
  • Participatory methods such as Delphi exercises, human-centred design workshops, and consensus-building forums.
  • Survivor-led input into healthcare decision-making and policy development.

This model represents a shift in how VAW/C research is conducted—with survivors, for survivors.

Research

Our work is structured across five Work Packages:

  1. Survivor Panels & Community Engagement
    Creating and evaluating inclusive survivor panels embedded in health decision-making systems.
  2. Health Burden of Violence
    Mapping and analysing country-specific health data to understand the impacts of VAW/C, particularly in underserved populations.
  3. Economic Cost of Inaction
    Estimating the macroeconomic burden of VAW/C using a novel social accounting matrix approach to influence policy.
  4. Prevention Strategies & Policy Evaluation
    Identifying what works through systematic reviews, participatory research, and the Human-Centred Design approach to develop and pilot new interventions.
  5. Knowledge Exchange and Training
    Building global capacity through multidisciplinary education, training, and mentoring programmes.

Each workstream is co-designed with survivors and local stakeholders to ensure relevance, impact, and sustainability

Co-investigators

Our team is made up of over 50 interdisciplinary experts from across public health, economics, gender studies, epidemiology, sociology, and data science. Co-leads and country leads from LMICs and high-income countries bring critical regional and global expertise.

Collaborating Institutions include:

  • University of Birmingham (UK)
  • University of Cape Town (South Africa)
  • Emory University (USA)
  • University of Jaffna (Sri Lanka)
  • Public Health Foundation of India (India)
  • Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (Brazil)
  • Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (Mexico)
  • Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (Peru)
  • University of Bristol (UK)
  • Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (Germany)
  • University of Washington (USA)
  • National University of Ireland, Galway (Ireland)

Partners and Scientific Advisory Board

We are proud to work with a broad network of partners, including:

  • The Lancet Commission on Gender-Based Violence
  • Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI)
  • National Ministries of Health, statistical agencies and grassroots feminist organisations in all anchor countries
  • UN agencies and global policymakers, including WHO and UNICEF

Our Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) comprises globally recognised experts in:

  • Violence prevention
  • Health systems research
  • Gender and human rights
  • Community-led research

Together, our partners and SAB ensure that our work is rigorous, responsive, and ready to drive global change.

Key contacts