is an online resource in English, French and Spanish, designed to serve the needs of policymakers, programme implementers and other practitioners dedicated to addressing violence against women and girls. The Centre is an initiative of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), bringing together the valuable contributions of expert organizations and individuals, governments, United Nations sister agencies, and a wide range of relevant actors. Part of the overall effort is encouraging shared ownership of the site and ongoing partnership-building for its continuous development and sustainability.

The Global Virtual Knowledge Centre was presented on 4 March at an event held on the occasion of the and co-hosted by UNIFEM and the Government of Spain. Efforts by the international community to end violence against women and girls have gained an unprecedented momentum. Decades of tireless work by the women’s movement and human rights activists have placed the issue high on global, regional and national agendas. At the international level, the UN Secretary-General’s campaign, , calls on governments, civil society, the private sector and the entire UN system to join forces in addressing this global pandemic.

The major challenge worldwide is to translate policy commitments into practice, but few policy-makers and practitioners have ready access to the global evidence base of effective measures to end violence against
women and girls.

In response, UNIFEM has developed the Global Virtual Knowledge Centre that brings together existing and cumulative experience, know-how and resources from around the world. Access to this knowledge
base can improve the quality of interventions, optimize results and
enhance the cost-effectiveness of investments.

Currently, the knowledge centre features three modules, developed by recognized experts in the respective areas of specialization and vetted by networks of practitioners. Several additional modules are in development. The centralized database is fully searchable and available in English, French and Spanish.