Global Forum on Gender Statistics Rome, Italy 10-12 December 2007 Producing gender statistics: A perspective from Asia and the Pacific Andrés Montes ESCAP Statistics Division

Recent workshops in the ESCAP region ESCAP & ADB workshops on Enhancing Social and Gender Statistics (2002/2003). UNIFEM & ESCAP workshop on an Integrated Approach to Gender Statistics and workshop on Using Statistics for Gender-Responsive Policy Analysis and Advocacy (2002/2003). DAW & ESCAP Enhancing Participation of Women in Development through an Enabling Environment for Achieving Gender Equality and the Advancement of Women (2005). UNSD & the Government of India: Inter-regional workshop on the Production of Gender Statistics (2007).

Recent publications in the ESCAP region Statistics on Women in Asia and the Pacific. Women and men country profiles. Gender equality and empowerment: A statistical profile of the ESCAP region. Integrating unpaid work into national policies. Gender Indicators for monitoring the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action on women in the ESCAP region.

A better understanding and more advocacy are needed Need to increase knowledge: gender statistics does not only mean disaggregating data by sex. Without a good understanding of the underlying factors, indicators will prove irrelevant. Indicators need to be feasible and information should be accessible at an acceptable cost-benefit ratio. Create synergy improving inter-institutional communication between NSOs and policy makers. Promote a change in behaviour and a comprehensive approach towards gender issues.

The importance of understanding what we want to measure Make women’s contribution to society more visible? Monitor compliance with agreements? Follow progress towards a goal? Determine the status of women in a given society? Observe legislation implementation? Make indicators comparable at the international level and across cultures? data => indicators => analysis => policy making

Importance of censuses for gender statistics Microlevel data (individual level). Universal coverage (vulnerable groups). It is the benchmark for assessing main social and demography issues. Wide array of subjects (demography, education, health, disability, migration, employment, housing characteristics & services).

Challenges in producing gender statistics based on censuses Lack of resources is still a problem. Results are not timely available for policy making. Information is not used to the extent possible. Many NSOs lack internal capacity, particularly for analysing data. Reduced use of international recommendations and standards. Lack of a systematic approach to identify gender issues and provide information accordingly.

Projects related to censuses The census programme in the ESCAP region is divided into three components: Promoting global census principles and recommendations with a focus on gender statistics. Building a disabilities and migration data system around population censuses. Supporting effective use of information technology in population censuses.

Projects in other areas Linking MDGs with CEDAW and Beijing indicators (ESID). Inter-commission project on violence against women (EISD & SD). Informal sector project (SD). Microdata project as a key information repository (SD).

Useful links on gender in the ESCAP region Statistics Development Section Statistics Division http://www.unescap.org/stat/statcap.asp#genstat Gender and Development Section Emerging Social Issues Division http://www.unescap.org/esid/GAD/index.asp