Transcript Production of Gender Statistics: An overview of the Process

Inter-Regional Workshop on the Production
of Gender Statistics
New Delhi, India, 6-10 August 2007
Production of Gender Statistics:
An overview of the Process
By
Grace Bediako
Government Statistician
Ghana Statistical service
How do are we measuring up?
Gender-statistics-wise?
How are we conducting the business of
collecting, compiling and disseminating
timely and reliable statistics for all
stakeholders?
Should we continue to do business
as usual?
How can we do things
differently?
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Where are we in our respective offices?
And where do we start?
What can we do as individuals, gender
desk officers, focal points, unit or
programme officers to bring gender
into focus in our work?
It has been 12 years since Beijing?
Why are things so slow to change?
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What process are we following in
our production of statistics?
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Labour force survey?
Poverty (living standards/income and
expenditure) survey?
Contraceptive prevalence survey?
Preparing statistical report:
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MDG report?
Human development report?
Gender statistics report?
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Four essential action blocks in
the production of statistics
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Define the key issues, problems, areas of
concern on which to shed new or more
light
Determine the statistics/indicators
needed/required
Assemble all relevant data (including
collecting new data, if necessary)
Analyse and disseminate the results
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Statistics Production Process
(1) Defining the issues
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Identify policy related issues and
concerns
Review underlying causes and
consequences of differentials
(observed or expected)
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Statistics Production Process
(2) Determine statistics needed
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Define what statistics are needed
Identify the most relevant statistics
and indicators to be processed
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Statistics Production Process
(3) Assemble relevant data
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Assess adequacy of available data (with
respect to coverage and content)
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Review data quality
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Identify data gaps
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Adopt strategy for filling the gaps (from
existing sources or new data collection)
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Statistics Production Process
(4) Analyse and dissiminate
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Process and analyse data
Disseminate data and results of the
analysis
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Where are national statistical
systems with respect to gender?
Have we made any progress…
since…?
 If maintain the status quo
where will we be in another 10
to 15 years?
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The Beijing Platform for Action
Calls on national, regional and international
statistical institutions to:
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Ensure that statistics related to individuals are
collected, compiled, analysed and presented by
sex and age, and reflect problems, issues and
questions related to women and men in society
(para. 209 (a)).
Engendering Statistics, Annex 2, p. 137.
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Yet the prevailing situation in
the statistical system…
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Issues are defined without regard to
gender differences or concerns
There is no obligation to produce data
that reflect variations with respect to
gender
Presentation and analysis of data by sex
is not necessarily as a response to data
needs but possibly by coincidence
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The development of gendersensitive indicators
Has been slow because of a combination of factors:
 Lack of understanding of how gender is relevant for
broad development goals
 Reluctance to change the traditional ways in which
statistics have been compiled and presented
 Lack of knowledge on how change can be effected
 Indifference or lack of commitment to the concerns
and issues of gender equality.
 Need to consider practical ways of advancing the
work on gender equality indicators
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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
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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
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How can the approach be
modified?
Reformulate
development
issues
Problems and questions
on gender issues in society
USERS
of statistics
Cooperate
Needs for improvement of the
situations of women and men
PRODUCERS
of statistics
Goals for equal opportunity
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Not all development issues easily
translated to gender issues
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In which areas do we have the most
difficulty?
Erring on the side of gender neutrality
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Fields not directly dealing with individuals, e.g.,
the economy, the environment
Erring on the side of one gender (often
women are…)
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When the issues of concerns affect one sex
disproportionately, such as violence against
women
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Specifying the gender issues
Addressing women’s and men’s concerns
Women in
Development
(WID)
Women in
isolation
Women as a
homogeneous
group
Integrating
women into
development
statistical system
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Gender and
Development
Equal
opportunities
implies
•Women in relation
to men
•Women’s and
men’s economic
and social
conditions
•Interrelationships
between women
and men
•Ensure a more
equitable
development for
both women and
men
•Recognizing
women’s and
men’s realities in
various phases of
the life-cycle
•Identifying
differences in
women’s and
men’s life
•Differentiating
between what are
desirable,
tolerable, or
deplorable
Feedback
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This should lead to identifying
gender-sensitive statistics
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Not merely indicators which have
been compiled and presented by
sex (although a fundamental
requirement);
But also reflect the relative levels
of and differentials between
women and men, girls and boys;
Present comparisons within age
and socio-economic groups
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Availability of data
Identify statistics needed for the issues
List the most relevant statistics and indicators
Identify available statistics
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Determine data gaps
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Utilization of available data
Identify available data
Review sources of data
Assess quality of data
relative to need
Need for improvements in content, concepts,
measurement, classifications
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Generate
statistics
to be analysed
Identify new
data needs
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Fill data gaps
Determine data gaps
Investigate possible sources
Need for improvements in content, concepts,
measurement, classifications
Collect new data
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Generate
statistics
to be analysed
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Enhancing visibility of women
and men in statistics
Targeting different
audiences
Analysis of data
Presentation
of statistics
Cooperate
Feedback
PRODUCERS
USERS
Dissemination
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of statistics
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Components of gender
statistics work
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Identification of topics that represent concerns about
gender relations and opportunities, for investigation
Selection of statistics to be collected to highlight gender
issues in society
Formulation of concepts and definitions that adequately
reflect the diversities of women and men in society and
capture the different aspects of their lives
Development of data collection methods that take
account stereotypes and social and cultural factors that
might produce gender-based biases.
Development of analyses and presentation of data that
can easily reach policy makers, planners and the largest
audience possible.
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Issues for reflection
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To what extent are we following the
production process for gender statistics
in our day-to-day work?
In what areas do we need improvement?
What are some opportunities for
developing gender statistics?
How should they be used to increase
availability of gender statistics?
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