Bosnia and Herzegovina Organizing national Gender Statistics Workshops - Lessons Learned Sub regional workshop on Gender Statistics, UNECE/WBI Skopje, FYR of Macedonia, February 2010

How it all begun In 2006 UNECE/WBI launched the project "Capacity Building program on Engendering National Statistical Systems for a Knowledge-Based Policy Formulation in CIS and SEE countries" The overall objective of the project was to improve relevance, quality, availability, and use of gender statistics in the region Outcomes of the project:  To improve the gender sensitivity of NSSs to better produce data for developing,monitoring, and evaluating gender policies and increase capacity of users to utilize statistics for policy making Main outputs of the project:  Improve statistical production and dissemination,  Develop critical mass of trainers,  Improved visibility and understanding of gender issues in the region  Improved visibility and quality of the UNECE/UNDP/WB Gender Statistics Database Activities planned: Sub-regional trainings, national follow-up training courses and workshops

BiH joines the Project Key persons from three statistical offices in BiH participate in sub-regional workshops and trainings of trainers Trainings cover all most important gender isuess and statistical areas Group work contributes to experiences of countries being exchanged Follow-up: Discussions and workshop materials on UNECE/WBI Gender statistics portal

National workshops - the planning phase Trainers from BiH statistical offices together with UNECE/WBI experts recognize the need to continue the training course on national level October preparatory meeting held, scope and plan of activities drafted:  Two workshops proposed - first in Banja Luka and second in Sarajevo  Workshops to be held by trainers with the assistance of international experts  UN experts to prepare modules and distribute to trainers for consideration  First workshop participants - statisticians and rep. of gender mechanisms at entity and state level  Second workshop participants - statisticians and broader list of user of statistics  UNDP BiH to draft the cost plan Agreed topics for workshops:  Engendering LFS - wording and indicators  Gender Pay Gap  Informal employment  Reconciliation of work an family life  Writing of good story lines (reports and comments)

First workshop - preparatory work Venue and date: Banja Luka, February 2008 Phone-conference held to agree on the agenda, number of participants, topics for group work and the time-schedule of the activities Trainers from stat. offices develop materials for group work Coordinator and facilitator of the workshop appointed

Different modules presented by UNECE/WBI experts Statistical offices present LFS - field work and indicators Users - gender mechanisms present their needs for indicators required for reporting and policy monitoring Trainers facilitate the work in WGs, topics:  Improving LFS from gender perspective  Analysis of on-demand LFS indicators to be produced  Informal employment - national and internat. definition WGs report back the results Presentation of key conclusions to close the workshop Conducting the first workshop

Venue and date: Sarajevo, March 2009 Preparatory meeting held with UNECE/WBI/ UNDP/ILO experts to agree on the modules and workshop agenda UNECE develops a needs assessment questionairre to be distributed to all participants Trainers to assist the working groups List of participants agreed, representatives of media and NSOs from neighbouring countries to be invited UNDP BiH to render logistics Second workshop - preparatory work

UNECE opens the workshop with the presentation of the expectations and needs assessment, based on the questionnaire Statistical offices present the work on producing LFS data tables and indicators, requested by the users at the first workshop International experts make presentations and open discussions on:  Gender Pay Gap  Reconciliation of work and family life - concepts and data sources  Writing good storylines - communication wit the media Working groups - statisticians, data users, journalists Users presented with various document and guidelines related to gender statistics Needs and possibilities of future work discussed Conducting the second workshop

Statisticians:  "... We understand the importance and need for gender statistics better now. Presentation of recommended indicators and data gaps identified by working groups will help us improve..."  Module dedicated to writing good storylines and communicating with media assessed as extremely useful Data users:  Very much appreciated the possibility to present the legislative and express the need for statistics required for reporting and policy monitoring  User-producer workshops improve the existing and make way for new cooperation projects Journalists:  Better understanding of process of producing statistical data and indicators  More trainings in interpreting statistical data are needed All participants:  Starter activities, role-plays and work in groups make people know, listen and understand each other better and result in finding out common solutions to the problem Participants said...

More gender statistics produced and of better quality Various data sources identified More data produced from LFS The wording in LFS questionairre improved Modules on Reconciliation of work and family life to help producing indicators from future Time Use Survey Statistics better interpreted - press releases improved Gender statistics booklets improved Users and media understand better how statistics is produced Needs for future activities and projects identified The output

Workshops on relatively new and sensitive topics such as gender issues are mission possible with the input and assistance of experienced international experts Thorough planning required:  Identifying national/regional needs  Identifying user needs and data gaps  Develop modules and working group materials that will bring up discussions and result in concrete conclusions about future steps Capacity building crucial:  Training of trainers for further engendering of NSOs Include the users:  They always ask for more and good quality statistics  Regular user-producer workshops best way to improve and have real results  User are often, at the same time, data sources for gender statistics - let them know how to improve their records Include the decision makers - help them decide, let them know what is on the agenda Invite the representatives of media - make them your ally Lessons learned

Continue with capacity building and education Continue with advocacy for improving administrative data sources for gender statistics Explore the national resources to produce more gender statistics based on user needs Explore the possibilities for international assistance in:  Calculating concrete indicators (such as GPG)  Organizing national/regional workshops and training courses on statistics on other current topics  Developing and improving regional cooperation in order to exchange experiences, produce and publish comparable indicators The way forward

Thank you for your attention! Aleksandra Zec, RSIS Statistical offices in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Agency for Statistics of BiH, Republika Srpska Institute of Statistics, Federal Office of Statistics,