It is perpetuated by traditional and customary practices that accord women lower status in the family, workplace, community and society, and it is exacerbated by social pressures. The United Nations Secretary-General’s 2006 study on violence against women5 elaborates on the context and causes of this violence and on its forms, consequences and costs. The study dedicates a separate chapter to issues related to data collection and the gaps and challenges in the different sources of data used for quantification, with an emphasis on types of violence and ethical and safety issues related to population-based surveys used as sources. Furthermore, the study points to the fact that the development and use of common indicators on violence against women is critical for a full and comprehensive overview of this phenomenon.