Book excerpt: The Multi-Country Study, which began in 1997, aims to: Obtain reliable estimates of the prevalence of violence against women in different countries throughout the world, in a consistent, standardized manner which will allow for inter-country comparisons; Document the association between domestic violence against women and a range of health outcomes; Identify risk and protective factors for domestic violence against women, and compare them between settings; Explore and compare the coping strategies used by women experiencing domestic violence; Use the findings nationally and internationally to advocate for an increased response to domestic and sexual violence against women.