Decolonising Funding: Shifting How We Think about Funding Research on Violence Against Women and Children

To strengthen our understanding of violence against women (VAW) and violence against children (VAC), and ultimately prevent it, dedicated investment is needed into research that is priority-driven and carried out in such a way that it provides sound, practical and empirical guidance for interventions, programmes, policy and advocacy. To ensure these efforts are effective, appropriate and contextually relevant, much more research needs to be led and undertaken by researchers and practitioners in and from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs); where the burden of VAW and VAC is highest.

However, the reality is that investment in responses to VAW and VAC do not match their severity or impact and even less money goes into research. Existing research investment remains highly concentrated in high income countries (HICs) and research done in LMICs is often led by HIC institutions and/or researchers. Similarly, research agendas are generally set by too few, usually the most recognised, senior or loudest in the room.

This has meant that funding may be misdirected, serving academic researchers’ own agendas rather than the communities that the research is meant to serve. Research partnerships are widely acknowledged to play a critical role in facilitating researchers’ capacity strengthening and knowledge exchange, working with new collaborators, gaining access to resources and equipment, and conducting mutually beneficial research. However, more work needs to be done on ensuring that these partnerships are equitable.

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