Inter-Regional Workshop on the Production of Gender
Statistics
New Delhi, India, 6-10 August 2007
Strengthening National Gender
Statistics Programmes:
The Way forward
Grace Bediako
Government Statistician
Ghana Statistical Service
10 August 2007
1
The focus of the Session
 Where are we on gender statistics?
 Where do we need to be?
 How will we get to where we need to be?

What are some milestones along the way?
 What will it take to take us from where we
are now, through where we would like to
be, to where we need to be?
 What are the next steps/“quick wins” for
national gender statistics programmes?
10 August 2007
2
Major steps in the production process
Defining data requirements
Defining issues
Statistics required from various
fields
Problems and
questions on
gender issues in
society
Relevant statistics/indicators
Required
improvements in
the situation of
women and men
Determine
data sources
Goals for equal
opportunity
10 August 2007
Assembling data
Available
statistics
Data gaps
Review quality
Dissemination
Statistics to
be analysed
Analysis
Other sources
Review concepts, methods,
classifications, etc.
Collect new data
Presentation
Dissemination
3
Role of producer-user dialogue
Beginning stages
of data collection
Define
issues
Identify
statistical
needs
Identify
gaps
10 August 2007
Consultations/feedback
in-between
Advice on
questionnaires
design
Producers
of statistics
Users of
statistics
Advice on
concepts &
methods
Final steps
in data
collection
Support
analysis
Identify
gaps
Feedback on
relevance of
data/products
4
A yardstick for measuring – how
well we are doing…
The Beijing Platform for Action
10 August 2007
5
Beijing Platform for Action
 Designate or appoint staff to
strengthen gender statistics
programmes and ensure
coordination, monitoring and
linkages to all fields of statistical
work, and prepare outputs that
integrates statistics from various
subject areas. (Para. 209 (d)).
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6
Minimum requirements
suggested by the Platform (1)
 Organization – Staff dedicated to the
work on gender statistics
 Goals and objectives – Coordination,
monitoring and linkages with all fields of
statistics, i.e., within and reaching across
to other sector sections
 Output – products covering statistics from
various subject areas
10 August 2007
7
Organizational setup
 Institutional arrangement is critical for the
success of the gender statistics programme.
 Most national statistical offices represented at
this workshop have some form of institutional
arrangement to implement a gender statistics
programme
 One or two have a committee on gender
statistics
 Some have legal provisions and mandated by
an act (or law)
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8
Does the statistical law or laws governing
the statistical production in your country,
explicitly deal with the production and/or
dissemination of gender statistics or the
provision of sex disaggregated data?
Yes
8
No
17
TOTAL
25
10 August 2007
9
Is there a special unit/desk/focal point responsible for
gender statistics in your National Statistics Office
(NSO)?
Yes
15
In Social and Demographic statistics
13
In Coordination Branch
2
No - working group
2
No
8
TOTAL
25
10 August 2007
10
How has the set up in your country
worked …?
 Who has all three… or two…
 The unit, the committee and the law/act?
 Do you have a regular programme for
gender statistics?
 In what way has it helped in the
establishing and maintaining a gender
statistics programme?
 What have been the challenges? …
10 August 2007
11
Functions of the gender statistics
unit/programme
 Coordination, monitoring and linkages with
other fields


Within the NSO
Among producers of statistics
 Advocacy
 Improving gender statistics, internally and
system-wide
 Substantive and technical support to other
ministries, departments and agencies dealing
with statistics
 Training of NSO and non-NSO staff
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12
List the main tasks of the gender statistics unit/desk/focal
point with respect to gender statistics.
Identifying user needs
3
Methodology development
Collection/compilation
Analysis of data
5
14
9
Dissemination
15
Collaboration with other orgs./depts.
4
Advocating for gender stats. inclusion
Training
3
4
Other
5
10 August 2007
13
Countries with initiatives to improve
Collection of gender relevant data through the Population
and Housing Census?
Yes
16
No
9
Collection of data on gender-specific topics through
national sample surveys?
Yes
16
No
9
Collection/compilation of sex-disaggregated data from
administrative sources on such topics as access to
credit/land, housing/land tenure, crime, etc.?
Yes
No
10 August 2007
12
13
14
Outputs suggested by the
Beijing the Platform (2)
 Disaggregation of statistics by sex and age, reflecting





gender issues in all statistics about individuals (Para. 209
(a))
Collection, compilation, analysis and presentation of
gender statistics on a regular basis (Para, 209 (b))
Strengthening vital statistical systems (Para. 209 (j))
Improving concepts and methods…(Para. 209 (c))
Developing and testing appropriate indicators and
research methodologies,…involving women’s studies
centres and research orgs (Para. 209 (d))
Improving data collection on various issues, including: the
full contribution of women and men to the economy…
(Para. 209 (e)).
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Responsibility of Government…
 Ensure the regular production of statistical publication
on gender that presents and interprets topical data on
women and men in a form suitable for a wide range
of non-technical users (Para. 210 (a))
 Ensure that producers and users of statistics in each
country regularly review the adequacy of official
statistical system and its coverage of gender issues,
and prepare a plan for needed improvements, where
necessary. (Para. 210 (b))
 Use more gender sensitive data in the formulation of
policy and implementation of programmes and
projects (Para. 210 (d))
10 August 2007
16
What is the state of national gender
statistics…
 How influential is the NSO on gender
statistics?


What do others (producers and users count on the
NSO for with regard to gender statistics/research)
What kind of reputation does the unit have among
gender advocates?
 What is the level of cooperation
 With other producers of statistics ?
 Dialogue with users?
 What are the benefits from these interactions?
10 August 2007
17
What are the regular outputs…
 Which NSO has a regular gender statistics
publication all basic areas of statistics


What type of publication
How many issues and at what interval?
 Is there a specified work programme for
gender statistics?
 Has a plan for the improving gender statistics
been prepared?
On the basis of a review of data needs and users’
requirements?
 What strategies have been identified?
18
10 August 2007

Next steps - As an exercise for
group
 Assess the state of national gender statistics in each
member country, in terms of:


Strengths (two or three per country)
Weaknesses (two or three per country)
 Identify some opportunities for, and challenges to
changing the situation.
 Propose some specific actions that can be taken in
the next 6 to 18 months, to improve gender statistics
at the country level (be sure that each country’s
particular circumstance is taken into account)


Next six months
Next year
10 August 2007
19
Individual/Country Reflection
For final closing remarks, prepare to state:
 What single most important lesson on gender
statistics you have picked up from any of the
components of the workshop (lectures, country
presentations, working groups exercises, general
discussions, tours, etc.)
 How are you planning to apply this to your work
when you get back? Within what time frame?
 How can a network on gender statistics support
your work?
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20
Thank you
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21