The publication was requested by the United Nations Statistical Commission at its fortieth session, in 2009, to comply with United Nations General Assembly resolution 61/143 on the intensification of efforts to eliminate all forms of violence against women, which requested the Statistical Commission to develop a set of possible indicators to assist States in assessing the scope, prevalence and incidence of violence against women. 

The publication aims to provide national statistical offices with detailed guidance on how to collect, process, disseminate and analyse data on violence against women.