1. 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

2. 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?
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?
Should we continue to do business as usual?
It has been 12 years since Beijing? Why are things so slow to change?
How can we do things differently?
24 February 2019

3. What process are we following in our production of statistics?
Labour force survey?
Poverty (living standards/income and expenditure) survey?
Contraceptive prevalence survey?
Preparing statistical report:
MDG report?
Human development report?
Gender statistics report?
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4. Four essential action blocks in the production of statistics
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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5. Statistics Production Process (1) Defining the issues
Identify policy related issues and concerns
Review underlying causes and consequences of differentials (observed or expected)
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6. Statistics Production Process (2) Determine statistics needed
Define what statistics are needed
Identify the most relevant statistics and indicators to be processed
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7. Statistics Production Process (3) Assemble relevant data
Assess adequacy of available data (with respect to coverage and content)
Review data quality
Identify data gaps
Adopt strategy for filling the gaps (from existing sources or new data collection)
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8. Statistics Production Process (4) Analyse and dissiminate
Process and analyse data
Disseminate data and results of the analysis
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9. 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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10. The Beijing Platform for Action
Calls on national, regional and international statistical institutions to:
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.
24 February 2019

11. Yet the prevailing situation in the statistical system…
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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12. The development of gender-sensitive 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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13. Major steps in the production process
Defining data requirements
Statistics required from various fields
Defining issues
Relevant statistics/indicators
Problems and questions on gender issues in society
Dissemination
Assembling data
Statistics to be analysed
Available statistics
Data gaps
Analysis
Required improvements in the situation of women and men
Determine data sources
Presentation
Review quality
Other sources
Dissemination
Goals for equal opportunity
Review concepts, methods, classifications, etc.
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Collect new data

14. Reformulate development issues
How can the approach be modified?
Reformulate development issues
USERS
Problems and questions
on gender issues in society
of statistics
Cooperate
Needs for improvement of the
situations of women and men
PRODUCERS
of statistics
Goals for equal opportunity
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15. Not all development issues easily translated to gender issues
In which areas do we have the most difficulty?
Erring on the side of gender neutrality
Fields not directly dealing with individuals, e.g., the economy, the environment
Erring on the side of one gender (often women are…)
When the issues of concerns affect one sex disproportionately, such as violence against women
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16. Specifying the gender issues
Addressing women’s and men’s concerns
Equal opportunities implies
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
Gender and Development
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
Women in
Development (WID)
Women in isolation
Women as a homogeneous group
Integrating women into development statistical system
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Feedback

17. This should lead to identifying gender-sensitive statistics
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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18. Availability of data Identify statistics needed for the issues
List the most relevant statistics and indicators
Identify available statistics
Determine data gaps
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19. Utilization of available data
Identify available data
Review sources of data
Generate
statistics
to be analysed
Assess quality of data
relative to need
Identify new
data needs
Need for improvements in content, concepts,
measurement, classifications
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20. Fill data gaps Determine data gaps Investigate possible sources
Need for improvements in content, concepts,
measurement, classifications
Generate
statistics
to be analysed
Collect new data
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21. Targeting different audiences
Enhancing visibility of women and men in statistics
Targeting different audiences
PRODUCERS
of statistics
Analysis of data
Feedback
Cooperate
Presentation
USERS
Dissemination
of statistics
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22. Components of gender statistics work
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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23. Issues for reflection
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?
24 February 2019