Integrating a Gender Perspective into Statistics Haoyi Chen Social and Housing Statistics Section United Nations Statistics Division

Outline Overview Integrating a gender perspective into official statistics What are gender statistics? How are gender statistics produced? Plan for developing gender statistics Results of the Global Survey on National Programmes on Gender Statistics

+ + + What are gender statistics? Gender statistics = Gender statistics are defined as statistics that adequately reflect differences and inequalities in the situation of women and men in all areas of life (UN World’s Women 2005). Gender statistics = 1 Data are collected and presented disaggregated by sex; + 2 Data are reflecting gender issues; + 3 Data are based on concepts and definitions that adequately reflect the diversity of women and men and capture all aspects of their lives; + 4 Data collection methods take into account stereotypes and social and cultural factors that may induce gender biases. 3

Gender issues - examples Do girls and boys have equal access to basic education? Do women and men have the equal access to labour market? Do women and men spend the same amount of time in caring for children? Do households spend the same amount of income for girls’ and boys’ education, health and nutrition? Are women underrepresented in parliament? Are men at higher risk than women for accidental deaths? How wide-spread is physical and sexual violence against women?

Concepts and definitions that capture gender differences Old definition of “work” does not take into consideration the production of services for own use, greatly under-estimated women’s contribution to the economy

Data collection with gender bias Employed: people might not understand what it means. Women (or proxy respondent – head of household) tend to under-estimate the value of women’s work and report them not employed/working.

Confusion between “sex” and “gender” still persists among producers and users of statistics. “Sex” refers to biological differences “Gender” refers to socially constructed differences in attributes and opportunities associated with being female or male and the social interactions and relationships (including power relationships) between women and men Data are disaggregated by sex, not by gender

How are gender statistics produced?

Two contrasting models of production of gender statistics Model 1 “Add-on” Compilation and dissemination of existing sex-disaggregated data Model 2 “Mainstream” Gender is taken into account in all stages of data production (planning, data collection, data analysis, data dissemination) and in all statistical fields.

Model 1: Production of gender statistics as an “add-on” Limited coverage of gender issues Concepts and methods of data collection may not be gender sensitive Products of dissemination perceived as “for women’s advocates only” Gender statistics marginalized among other fields of statistics Fail to reach a wide range of users, particularly policy makers, researchers and analysts in domains other than gender equality Their production may be more dependent on irregular economic and human resources

Model 2: Gender mainstreamed in national statistics (It means that gender is brought into the “mainstream” of all statistical activities rather than dealt with as an “add-on”) Coverage of gender issues are decided from the stage of planning of data collection Concepts and methods of data collection are chosen to be gender-sensitive Dissemination of gender statistics are incorporated in regular publications or databases, therefore they reach a wider audience A more sustainable production of gender statistics Improved quality of data produced by national statistical systems

In summary: Gender Statistics-mainstreaming More than data disaggregated by sex Respond to the needs of policy makers, advocates, researchers, the media and the public Gender dimension is integrated at all stages of data production (planning, data collection, data analysis, data dissemination) and in all statistical fields 12

Four-step plan for developing gender statistics Identify gender issues (user-producer cooperation is key) Identify data needed to address those gender issues Assess the availability and quality of existing gender statistics If gap between data needed and existing data Better exploitation, tabulation and dissemination of existing data; Collection of new data, Development of new gender-sensitive concepts and methods 13

Mainstreaming a gender perspective into national statistical system requires: Leadership and political will at all levels Specification of formal requirements of gender statistics in the national statistical legislation Cooperation between users and producers of statistics Collaboration of NSOs with other institutions for developing and improving concepts and methods Training of statisticians Re-focus of activities and position of gender units and gender focal points within the national statistical systems

Global review of Gender Statistics Programmes in countries

Global Review - Objectives Conduct a review of gender statistics in national statistical systems Mandated by 2011 UN Statistical Commission Answers received in 2012 from 126 NSOs from 5 UN regions Obtain information on how gender perspectives are mainstreamed Identify good practices and challenges in integrating gender into the production and use of statistics

Global Review: 5 main topics Institutional arrangements Production (including data collection) of gender statistics Addressing users’ needs Assessment of mainstreaming gender into national statistical system Legal framework

Global Review: 5 main topics Institutional arrangements Production (including data collection) of gender statistics Addressing users’ needs Assessment of mainstreaming gender into national statistical system Legal framework

4. Assessment of mainstreaming gender into national statistical system Mainstreaming/integrating a gender perspective into statistics means that gender issues and gender-based biases are taken into account systematically, in the production of all official statistics and at all stages of data production. 86%

1. Institutional arrangements Gender Statistics Entities Question 1: Gender statistics entities Type of gender statistics entity % countries by type of gender statistics entity ESCWA (N=14) All countries (N=126) Gender statistics focal point /desk in NSO 21.4 68.2 Gender focal points in different government ministries/agencies 49.2 Gender statistics working groups, advisory group 50.0 31.7 Gender statistics dedicated office within the NSO 28.6 31.0 Gender statistics section in different government ministries/agencies 35.7 27.8 Gender statistics focal point/officer in different offices within the NSO 27.0 - + - +

1. Institutional arrangements Budgets Questions 4 and 6: Budgets for gender statistics   ESCWA All % with a dedicated gender statistics budget 7.1 12.7 % with ad-hoc funds but no dedicated budget 64.3 48.4 % without dedicated budget or ad-hoc funds 28.6 38.9

2. Production of Gender Statistics

Mixed progress in gender statistics Global recognition of the importance of Gender Statistics as shown by the existence of dedicated entities/focal points Some areas are well-covered Increased availability of statistics and gender statistics mainly due to improved dissemination of sex-disaggregated statistics; Yet,

Mixed progress in gender statistics Quality gender statistics are still lacking in many countries: Data scarcity in areas such as poverty; time use; violence against women; environment Data not collected in some countries Data already collected not adequately disseminated Data disseminated not disaggregated enough to allow the identification of population groups where gender differences are more pronounced

Re-cap Gender statistics are more than data disaggregated by sex “Sex” and “gender” not interchangeable Gender statistics have to respond to the needs of policy makers, advocates, researchers, the media and the public Gender should be integrated at all stages of data production and in all statistical fields (=gender mainstreaming) Four-step plan for developing gender statistics Identify gender issues (user-producer cooperation is key) Identify data needed to address those gender issues Assess the availability and quality of existing gender statistics Use the information on the gap between data needed and existing data as a basis for developing a plan for gender statistics.

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