SVRI Forum

Connect | Learn | Share

SVRI Forum is the world’s key research conference on violence against women and other forms of violence driven by gender inequality in low and middle-income countries.

SVRI Forum provides a global space where delegates build knowledge, expand their network, create collaborations and share knowledge with key decision-makers in the field of violence against women.

Why participate?

 

 

What to expect at SVRI Forum?

  • 600+ participants
  • Over 120 countries
  • Over 280 presentations
  • One day of exciting pre-conference workshops
  • Three days of quality, engaging sessions and high-level panels
  • Multiple networking & side events, self-care spaces and events
  • Exhibition stands
  • UN agencies & government representatives
  • Journalists, donors and private sector agencies

 

What SVRI Forum delegates say

“SVRI Forum plays a unique role. It effectively provides a space where lead thinkers and young researchers from different yet related fields can meet, discuss, compare findings and learn from each other, in an environment characterized by constructive criticism and intellectual rigor”.

“SVRI Forum is an exceptional space where academics and practitioners from the prevention and response fields can debate over their mutual challenges, lessons learnt and areas for development. In turn, SVRI Forum is also able to amplify their voices and ensure broader dissemination of what otherwise may remain niche studies or less visible issues”.

“I have built a larger network of researchers and practitioners through SVRI Forum, developed new research collaborations, and developed relationships with donors”.

“SVRI Forum is an amazing experience and opportunity to learn new methods, share in an interactive way, and a good opportunity for networking and define new collaboration opportunities.”

“SVRI Forum is very influential in bringing together all the players in the field; clustering conversations and increasingly becoming a platform for launching new initiatives”.

 

Building the next generation of researchers through SVRI Forum

  • SVRI Young Researcher Awards: One of SVRI Forum’s most celebrated events, certificates are given to young researchers in recognition of their contributions to the field. Read more about past winners on the SVRI Forum Hall of Fame.

  • SVRI Forum Young Professionals Programme (YPP): SVRI Forum’s YPP provides young professionals from LMICs with an opportunity to attend SVRI Forum and at the same time strengthen their presentation skills through mentorship from a more seasoned researcher. The call for YPP applications is circulated at the start of each Forum year via SVRI Update.

  • Being Heard: Meaningful involvement of children in research beyond their role as subjects has been recognised as a notable gap, as was the absence of young people among SVRI Forum delegates. SVRI Forum 2017 brought a group of young researchers to the Forum to attend in a participatory way. Read more on the Being Heard project.

“We made lifelong friendships, we are excited to meet again and to travel together to future conferences. We are staying in the mood! SVRI Forum was the best academic event I ever attended”

 

Forum Bursaries: Ensuring diversity and representation from LMICs at SVRI Forum

Diversity and inclusion are key priorities of the Forum. To ensure we continue our efforts to make SVRI Forum a diverse space, we award a limited number of bursaries for researchers working on VAC and VAW from low and middle-income countries who would not be otherwise able to attend the Forum. The SVRI also encourages northern researchers to ensure their southern based partners attend and present at the SVRI Forum. Over the last 10 years, SVRI has supported 100+ researchers (including young and emerging researchers), practitioners, survivors, advocates and more – primarily from LMICs, to attend the SVRI Forum. Applications for bursaries are circulated via the SVRI Update.

 

SVRI Forum over the years

  • SVRI Forum 2022: Connect, Share, Learn: Postponed from 2021 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, our seventh global conference, SVRI Forum 2022 was held in Cancun, Mexico, 19 – 23 September 2022. Visit the website for more information here. Read the full Conference Report here. Read the conference evaluation findings here.

  • SVRI Forum 2019: Time is Now: Forum 2019, SVRI's 6th global conference was held in Cape Town, South Africa from 21 – 25 October. Bringing together over 760 participants from 85 countries this was SVRI’s largest and most exciting conference yet. Forum 2019 was focused on research working to understand and redress inequity among vulnerable populations to ensure no-one is left behind; research on violence against women and linkages to violence against children, realising the SDGs and research for social change and global movements. Read the SVRI Forum 2019 Brief or watch the official SVRI Forum 2019: Time is Now Video and Highlights Video.

  • SVRI Forum 2017: Partnership for Policy Action: SVRI's 5th global conference was held in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil from 18-21 September. Forum 2017 gathered more than 500 researchers from around the globe and served as a timely space to discuss and share strategies for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Agenda 2030 targets aimed at ending all forms of violence against women and violence against children. The SVRI Forum 2017 website is available in English, Português and Español. See the SVRI Forum 2017 conference brief.
     

  • SVRI Forum 2015: Innovations and intersections: Forum 2015 was held in Stellenbosch, South Africa, 14 – 17 September bringing together 398 participants representing over 40 countries. A priority for SVRI Forum 2015 was to promote equity in research and successful north-south, south-south, and academic-practitioner research partnerships. The SVRI continues to prioritise equity and diversity in each of our Forums held. See the SVRI Forum 2015 video and conference report.
     

  • SVRI Forum 2013: Evidence into Action: SVRI Forum 2013 was our 3rd international conference and our first outside of South Africa. The conference was hosted in Bangkok, Thailand and built on the priorities identified at the two prior Forums. With approximately 200 participants from across the globe, SVRI Forum 2013 broadened its scope to include all forms of gender-based violence. Similarly, the conference linked the child protection and SGBV fields and promote cross-sectoral dialogue and exchange. See the SVRI Forum 2013 conference report.
     

  • SVRI Forum 2011: Moving the agenda forward: The SVRI successfully hosted its 2nd Forum from 10 – 13 October 2011 in Cape Town, South Africa. Forum 2011 brought together over 215 participants from 34 countries and built on research priorities identified at Forum 2009 to further develop and strengthen the evidence base and set the next research agenda on prevention of and response to sexual violence. See the SVRI Forum 2011 conference report.
     

  • SVRI Forum 2009: Coordinated evidence-based responses to end sexual violence: The SVRI’s first conference establishing the event as the global space to share and highlight innovative research, build and foster partnerships, and to debate and discuss new ideas to move the field forward. Held in Johannesburg, South Africa from 6 – 9 July 2009, Forum 2009 brought 194 participants together from over 28 countries. See the SVRI Forum 2009 conference report.
     

SVRI Forums: Taking Stock

The SVRI undertook a review of presentations made at SVRI Forums 2009 - 2013 to understand what is being presented and track our progress on diversity. Download: SVRI Forums Taking Stock.  

Read the SVRI Forum terminology 101