Turning research findings and survivor experiences into concrete policy and action could strengthen efforts to prevent and address violence against women and girls, speakers said at the ninth Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI) Forum in Bangkok on Tuesday.
The opening plenary, titled “Evidence and Activism,” brought together researchers, advocates and survivor-leaders to discuss how evidence can be translated into advocacy and policy action during the four-day forum.
The forum is being held at the Centara Grand and Bangkok Convention Centre, bringing together more than 1,500 researchers, practitioners, survivors, funders and advocates from around the world.
SVRI Forum Co-Founder and Chair Dr Claudia Garcia Moreno said the growth of the forum reflected the wider growth of research and activism in the field.
“We want to continue the Forum being driven by science,” she said.
Olympic swimmer and survivor advocate Joanna Maranhão highlighted research showing that 63% of Brazilian athletes had experienced sexual violence before the age of 18.
“If justice is not for me I will make sure it is for other people,” she said, describing her experience of turning personal trauma and research findings into advocacy.
Another example came from Latin America, where survivor advocate Olimpia Coral Melo campaigned for legal recognition of digital violence after experiencing abuse herself.
Melo, founder of Defensoras Digitales de Latinoamérica, said support from people who believed in her helped her push for legislation that became known as Ley Olimpia, or Olimpia’s Law.
“Mine was a violence that wasn't visible, couldn't be touched, and didn't have a name,” she said, adding that it is now recognized as a crime under the survivor-led law.
Diane Kambanei, director of Papua New Guinea’s National Gender-Based Violence Secretariat, spoke about how research findings were used to strengthen advocacy for government action.
She said policy recommendations based on research helped advocates secure, for the first time, a dedicated share of the national budget for addressing gender-based violence.
“Before, GBV was a women’s issue, and now it’s a government issue,” Kambanei said.
The second day of the forum also featured sessions examining the links between climate change and violence against women and girls, including climate-related mobility and women’s leadership.
Another session explored the potential of rugby in Pacific communities as a platform for preventing violence against women and girls.
The program also included poster sessions and an SVRI Salon screening of “Being Family,” a drama made with migrant and displaced families living along the Thailand-Myanmar border.
The forum is focusing on research, survivor leadership and practical approaches to preventing violence, with discussions continuing through the program.
