Results indicate that traditional diagnostic and data collection tools are not adequate to examine women's experiences of violence; a broader understanding of how women experience violence needs to be integrated into data collection strategies in Canada. The National Working Group on Crime Prevention (NWG) recommends concentrating investments on the highest needs as an essential element of a successful national crime prevention strategy for Canada. This means having the ability to accurately identify the nature of the problem where these problems are most acute, who is affected, and what interventions are most appropriate. In order to enhance the capacity to assess the nature and prevalence of violence and the effectiveness of interventions, findings suggest the need to address three major challenges: sustaining high-level government commitment to preventing violence against women; achieving consensus on what constitutes appropriate indicators for measuring the nature and extent of the problem and evaluating success; and ensuring access to relevant data and the technical expertise to use it effectively. The article highlights the benefits of gender mainstreaming for sustaining high-level commitment for the inclusion of a gender perspective in violence prevention activities. Table, figure, and references