Gender Statistics Training Workshops: Vietnam
SESSION 2
Adding Value through InternationallyComparable Gender Statistics
February 18-20, 2014: Moc Chau – Son La
February 25-27, 2014: Danang
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Objectives of Session
The main objectives of this session are to:
•
explain why internationally comparable gender statistics are
needed;
•
raise awareness of international initiatives to improve the
availability of comparable data, including the UN Minimum Set
of Gender Indicators; and
•
encourage use of the guidance available for producing gender
statistics in recently developed international manuals.
Primary References:
Gender Statistics, Reports of the Secretary -General to the forty-fourth and forty-fifth sessions
of the UNSC (E/CN.3/2013/10 and E/CN.3/2014/18)
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Benefits of International Comparability of Gender Statistics
• Gender issues and developments can be analysed in an
international context
by combining statistics across countries to produce regional and
global aggregates.
• Similarities and differences in gender issues between individual
countries and between regions can be studied and relative
progress on gender-related goals can be assessed
– by undertaking data comparisons across countries or regions.
• The overall quality of a country’s statistics can be enhanced
– as producing comparable statistics involves adoption of
international standards and best practice in methodology.
3
Bringing gender statistics from different countries together:
an Illustrative example
• The UNSD publication The World’s Women 2010 , Trends and
Statistics highlights the differences between the status of
women and men in various areas of contemporary life.
• It covers 196 countries across the world.
• It presents and analyses data at global, regional, and individual
country levels.
• The following four charts, sourced from that publication,
illustrate a few of the many different ways country data can be
brought together to inform gender issues in a wider context.
4
Global sex distribution by age
Source: UNSD The World’s Women 2010: Trends and Statistics
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Regional sex distribution
Source: UNSD The World’s Women 2010: Trends and Statistics
6
Sex differentials in tobacco use by region
Source: UNSD The World’s Women 2010: Trends and Statistics
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Sex differentials in tobacco use in countries within a region
Source: UNSD The World’s Women 2010: Trends and Statistics
8
Current Problems with International Data Comparability
•
Gaps in the availability of gender statistics in many countries
– For example, in 12 of the 22 topic areas specified in the 2012 UNSD Global
Review of Gender Statistics Programmes, more than a quarter of countries (32
of 126) were not producing any gender statistics.
•
Lack of comparability in many of the gender statistics that are available for
individual countries
– Due to differences in conceptualization/definition, measurement, data
collection methods, lack of metadata, etc.
•
Lack of or incomplete international standards for producing comparable gender
statistics for some topics, e.g., employment, violence against women, assets
•
Existing international standards are not always fully implemented by countries
– For example, a country may consider that a particular standard classification is
not useful, practical or appropriate in its circumstances and decide not adopt
the standard.
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An illustration of the problems encountered in bringing
together gender statistics from different countries
“ ... the preparation of the World’s Women 2010 was hampered by the
fact that statistics in certain domains are not available for many countries.
Furthermore, even the statistics that are available are often not
comparable because concepts, definitions and methods vary from country
to country. Data are also lacking in detail in many cases. Gender issues
can not be adequately reflected if sex-disaggregated statistics are
classified into categories that are too broad or are not further
disaggregated by relevant characteristics, such as age, residence, or
educational level. Finally the quality of data varies across countries.”
UNSD The World’s Women 2010: Trends and Statistics
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International guidance for producing gender statistics
International agencies have produced a range of material to assist countries to
produce comprehensive, comparable and reliable gender statistics. Important
recent documents are:
• UNSD Integrating a Gender Perspective into Statistics (online unedited version
issued 2013)
• UNECE Developing Gender Statistics: A Practical Tool (issued 2010)
• UNFPA Guide on Gender Analysis of Census Data (full draft 2013)
• UNSD Guidelines for Producing Statistics on Violence against Women: Statistical
Surveys (online edited version issued 2013)
• UNSD Guide to Producing Statistics on Time Use: Measuring Paid and Unpaid
Work (issued 2005)
• UNECE Guidelines for Harmonising Time Use Surveys (issued 2013)
• UN Minimum Set of Gender Indicators
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UNSD Integrating a Gender Perspective into Statistics (2013)
An excellent online source on gender statistics and indicators
• The manual provides methodological and analytical information
necessary to improve the availability, quality and use of gender
statistics in countries with less developed statistical systems.
– It is targeted primarily to statisticians working in such countries and as
a resource for training them.
• Aims to provide more guidance on:
– Bridging between gender issues, gender statistics and sources of data;
– How to increase data quality by incorporating a gender perspective in
data collection programmes; and
– How to ensure a wider range of audiences by improving the
presentation of gender statistics and their dissemination in regular
publications.
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UNSD Integrating a Gender Perspective into Statistics (continued)
• Based on the concept of gender mainstreaming in national
statistics.
– That is, gender issues and gender-based biases should be
systematically taken into account in the production of all official
statistics.
• It is intended to help statisticians to:
– Better understand the process of gender mainstreaming in
national statistics;
– Identify gaps in gender statistics and develop a coherent and
comprehensive plan for their production;
– Ensure survey and census design takes into account gender issues
and avoids gender biases in measurement; and
– Improve data analysis and presentation and deliver gender
statistics in a format easy for policymakers and planners to use.
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UNSD Integrating a Gender Perspective into Statistics (continued)
• The manual contains four chapters:
1.
An overview of gender statistics and gender mainstreaming;
2.
Bringing gender issues into statistics.
Specific attention is given to 9 broad topics: education; work; poverty;
environment; power and decision-making; population, households and families;
health; migration, displaced persons, and refugees; violence against women.
3.
Integrating a gender perspective into data collection.
Detailed consideration is given to 7 different types of collection: population and
household censuses; agricultural censuses and surveys; labour force surveys;
demographic and health surveys; time use surveys; violence against women
surveys; administrative and register-based sources.
4.
Analysis and presentation of gender statistics.
• It includes many references to the other international guidelines for gender
statistics, particularly UNECE Developing Gender Statistics: A Practical Tool.
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UNECE Developing Gender Statistics: A Practical Tool (2011)
• The printed and online manual is a guide for statistical organisations in the
production and use of gender statistics. It is mainly addressed to
statisticians in countries with a developed statistical system.
• It provides a consolidated reference for producing information on gender
differences and can assist in improving the availability of high quality
information on women and men.
• It contains 6 Chapters:
–
–
–
–
–
–
What is gender statistics and gender analysis,
Why do we need gender statistics,
HO to produce gender statistics: general issues,
Selected topics relevant to gender statistics and implications for data collection
Improving the use of gender statistics, and
Making it happen.
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UNECE Developing Gender Statistics: A Practical Tool (continued)
• The manual examines 15 selected topics in detail and explains why each topic is
important, the value added of statistics, and the implications for data collection.
Labour force size, structure and
characteristics
information and
communication technology
gender-based
violence
informal employment
agriculture
gender attitudes
unpaid work
access to assets
minority groups
reconciliation of work and family life
health
social exclusion
entrepreneurship
education
decision-making
research and science
• The manual
• discusses methods for improving the use of gender statistics through communication
strategies and dissemination platforms.
• provides guidance on steps and actions that can start or strengthen an existing
gender statistics program, and on training.
• is complemented by multimedia presentations on gender statistics, available on line,
that can be used as training tools.
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UNFPA Guide on Gender Analysis of Census Data
• The guide is intended for use by national statistical offices, national ministries
and civil society advocates in promoting equality, human rights and gender equity
through the appropriate analysis of population census data.
• It aims to:
– provide a sound understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of
population census data as they relate to these gender issues; and
– show how to make sense of tabulations, indicators and multivariate analyses
on a variety of topics.
• It describes the gender issues that population census data can inform, discusses
the data concerns that exist, and provides information on the types of measures
and indicators that can be produced.
• There is detailed guidance on the analysis of 10 key gender topics:
Fertility; mortality; sex ratio at birth and throughout the life cycle; marital status,
polygamy, widowhood and child marriage; households and families; income
poverty and living conditions; education and literacy; work, economic activities
and social protection; migration; and disability.
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UNSD Guidelines for Producing Statistics on
Violence against Women
• The manual aims to provide national statistical offices with detailed guidance on
how to collect, process, disseminate and analyse data on violence against
women.
• It aims to assist countries in assessing the scope, prevalence and incidence of
such violence.
• It covers all stages of the survey process in depth, including:
– the need for and essential features of sample surveys on violence against
women;
– relevant concepts, definitions and data collection requirements;
– steps in planning and implementing such surveys, including questionnaire
design and interviewer training;
– data processing, analysis and dissemination; and
– tabulations for key indicators plus a model questionnaire for producing
them.
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UNSD Guide to Producing Statistics on Time Use:
Measuring Paid and Unpaid work
• The manual is a reference tool for countries interested in conducting time use
surveys.
Its development stemmed from recognition of the value of time use statistics for
issues related to gender (e.g. increasing the visibility of women’s work and its
contribution to the economy), for quality of life concerns, and for improved
measures of economic activity and work.
• It aims to facilitate the harmonisation of methods and practices in collecting,
processing and disseminating time use statistics.
• Its content is mainly focussed on the different issues, modalities and initiatives
that need to be considered by a national statistical office in:
- planning, designing and conducting time use surveys;
- preparing survey outputs; and
- disseminating time use data.
• It includes the trial International Classification of Activities for Time Use Statistics,
expected to be finalised in time for adoption by the UNSC in 2015.
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UNECE Guidelines for Harmonising Time Use Surveys
• The main aim of the guidelines is to help countries carrying out time use
surveys and to improve the international comparability of results.
– The guidance provided is based on the experiences of countries with
developed statistical systems
• The guidelines focus on areas where the statistical community has
expressed a particular need for further guidance.
The areas include: policy relevance of time use surveys (particularly for
measuring unpaid work and non-market production, wellbeing, and gender
equality); availability and comparability of key statistical measures of time
use; periodicity; light and full-scale time use diaries; and time use activity
classification.
• For other topics discussed (e.g. the different stages of survey-taking), the
focus is on issues not covered in the UNSD Guide to Producing Statistics on
Time Use: Measuring Paid and Unpaid Work.
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UN Minimum Set of Gender Indicators
• At its 2013 meeting, the United Nations Statistical Commission (UNSC)
agreed on the use of a Minimum Set of Gender Indicators .
• The Minimum Set was developed by the Inter-agency and Expert
Group on Gender Statistics (IAEG -GS)
• It provides a guide for the national production and international
compilation of gender statistics
• The indicators are designed to cover, at a basic level, key issues in
gender equality and women’s empowerment that are common across
countries and regions.
• Available in your binder as the last handout.
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Value of the Minimum Set
The minimum set will provide a wide range of measures that can be compared
across countries.
“The minimum set of gender indicators is a testimony to the increased recognition
of the importance of gender statistics in evidence -based policy making.”
“Accurate data is critical to inform policies such as women’s better access to health
care and education, or to push for international attention to often-ignored issues
such as unpaid work and its impact on women’s rights and choices. The new
indicators are also important as a guide to collect national data which is crucial for
planning and budgeting. At a global level, being able to measure and compare the
progress made with reliable data provides an important basis for setting global
norms and standards, as well as for effective policy and development assistance.”
UN Women, 26 June 2013
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Criteria for Inclusion in the Minimum Set
Three criteria were used in selecting each indicator:
1. Addresses relevant issues related to gender equality and/or
women’s empowerment
2. Is conceptually clear, easy to interpret and has an agreed
international definition
3. Is regularly produced by countries with sufficient coverage
to allow tracking over time.
Underlying assumption
Selected indicators should be broadly consistent with other global
lists and avoid imposing an unnecessary burden on countries.
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Structure of the Minimum Set
52 quantitative gender and 11 qualitative indicators (relating to norms and
laws on gender equality), grouped into five domains and three tiers.
Domains
I.
Economic structures, participation in productive activities and access
to resources (19 indicators)
II. Education (12 indicators)
III. Health and related services (11 indicators)
IV. Public life and decision-making (5 indicators)
V. Human rights of women and girl children (5 indicators)
Tiers
Tier 1 - indicators that meet all three criteria (44 indicators)
Tier 2 - indicators that meet criteria 1 and 2 only (12 indicators)
Tier 3 - indicators that meet criterion 1 only (7 indicators)
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Dissemination of the Minimum Set
UNSD has developed a portal/platform to make the Minimum Set
available online.
• As of December 2013, country data for the 35 quantitative indicators
in Tier 1 are available through the portal.
• The possibility of disseminating Tier 2 indicators through the portal
in 2014 is being considered, even if data are available only for
selected countries and selected indicators.
• Detailed metadata are provided on the portal along with the
relevant data.
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Comparing the UN Minimum Set of Indicators to
Vietnam’s Set of National Gender Indicators
A 2013 assessment of gender integration into GSO surveys and censuses
found that:
•
•
•
Most of the 52 indicators in the UN Minimum Set are not in Vietnam’s list of
105 National Gender Statistical Indicators.
Data for most of the 52 indicators are currently not available from Vietnam’s
existing data sources.
In particular:
– only 10 indicators listed in the UN Minimum Set appear in Vietnam’s list of indicators;
– The 10 indicators are mostly based on similar concepts, definitions and calculation
methods in both lists, but there are inconsistencies in calculation methods for 2
indicators;
– Only 12 indicators in the UN Minimum Set have been collected by surveys implemented
by the GSO or Vietnam’s reporting systems, and most of these have not yet been
disaggregated by sex;
– For the 40 indicators that have not been collected, 28 could be collected in future GSO
surveys but the remaining 12 could not be obtained from these surveys.
•
The report includes recommendations to address these issues in order to
ensure Vietnam’s gender statistics are comparable with other countries in the
region as well as around the world.
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Other international activities to advance the Minimum Set
• Further research is needed in some areas. In particular:
- assessing data availability for the indicators on
- unpaid domestic work (with caring and housework separated) and
- the total work burden (with paid and unpaid domestic work combined)
- compiling country data on violence against women
• Further develop protocols for data and metadata collection from
countries and specialised international agencies.
• Extend compilation and dissemination of indicators in Tier 1.
• Capacity-building activities to expand the data coverage of indicators
in Tier 2.
• Methodological work on indicators in Tier 3 and emerging issues.
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A related initiative: EDGE
• The Evidence and Data for Gender Equality (EDGE) initiative is being
undertaken jointly by UNSD and UN-Women over the period 2012-2015.
• Its aim is to accelerate existing efforts to generate comparable gender
statistics on health, education, employment, entrepreneurship and assets.
• It focuses primarily on:
– compilation and online dissemination of data and metadata for 17 education,
employment and health indicators
(A platform for dissemination has been developed and is available online)
– developing international definitions and methods for measuring
entrepreneurship and assets ownership
– testing these newly developed definitions and collection methods in selected
countries
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International mechanisms for keeping informed
Mechanisms for keeping countries informed of developments in
gender statistics include:
• United Nations Statistical Commission (UNSC)annual meetings
– Reports on gender statistics have been produced for all meetings in
the last few years and are publicly available.
• UNSD Global Forum on Gender Statistics biennial meetings
– A range of documents, presentations and reports are publicly available.
– The last Global Forum was held in Jordan in March 2012 and focused
on women’s empowerment; the next one is planned for November
2014 in Mexico and is expected to focus on gender analysis and use of
gender data and indicators.
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