Regional Training Workshop on Gender Statistics in Africa

1. Regional Training Workshop to Improve Use of Existing Data for Monitoring Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in Africa. 26-28 September 2011, Kampala, Uganda Integrating a gender perspective into data collection Opoku Manu Asare

2. Outline • Concepts and definitions • Sources of data on gender statistics • Why gender statistics • Gender issues and concerns • Strategies for Integrating a gender perspective into data collection • Challenges and gaps in integrating a gender perspective into data collection • Priorities for future

3. Concepts and definitionIntegrate and Mainstream 1. Integrate: Combine (one thing) with another so that they become a whole: "transportation planning should be integrated with energy policy” synonyms: combine · amalgamate · merge · unite · fuse · blend · mingle · 2. Integrate: Bring data collection management & development and gender issues together as a prominent subjects just like economics and other subjects 1. Mainstream: A prevailing current or direction of activity or influence 2. Mainstream: Making gender issues as a topical, critical and important subject in the prevailing current social and economic development of our countries

4. 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 (United Nations, 2006). This definition closely follows the Beijing Platform for Action, which was adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing in 1995, • Recommended that national, regional and international statistical services should 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 (United Nations, 1996). There are several requirements imbedded in the definition of gender statistics

5. Sources of data on Gender issues • Population and housing census • Labour force survey • Time use surveys • Violence against women surveys • Established household surveys such as DHS, MICS, CWIG, Living Standard Surveys • Surveillance • Focus group discussions

6. Sources of data on Gender issues (Cont.) • Household Survey : National sample of randomly selected households that provides data on demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. • Agricultural Survey : Surveys of farms, ranches, and people who operate related enterprises, including data on crop yields, economic variables, and environmental data. • Geospatial Data/Infrastructure and Facility Inventories • Data with location-specific information (including other data inputs mentioned above) and spatial visualization, including facility inventories and core geographic data layers. • Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) • A form of administrative data that records vital events in a person’s life, including birth, marriage, divorce, adoption, and death. • Administrative Data: Information collected primarily for administrative or management purposes, including welfare, taxes, and educational record systems, amongst others. • Economic Statistics: Financial and economic-performance measurements, including labor force and establishment surveys, economic performance, employment, taxation, imports and exports, and other industrial activities. • Environmental Data: Real-time monitoring, ground stations, and satellite imagery for a range of environmental variables, including biodiversity, air quality, water resources, and forest and land use change

7. Advantages and challenges of using census for gender statistics Advantages • Wide coverage • Complete enumeration Disadvantages • Limited in scope, less issues are included therefore less gender issues can be included • Infrequent. Makes gender data and statistics not much updated • High cost

8. Advantages and challenges of using household surveys for gender statistics Advantages • Provides details on issue • Due to the usual huge number of people who answers survey, the data being gathered possess a better description of the relative characteristics of the general population involved in the study. As compared to other methods of data gathering, surveys are able to extract data that are near to the exact attributes of the larger population. Thus, household base surveys like Time use and Gender violence surveys are able to capture details of the variables • A broad range of data can be collected • Low cost Disadvantages • Not Ideal for Controversial Issues • It is a point data

9. Advantages and challenges of using administrative sources for gender statistics Advantages • Administrative data, in most cases, are superior to other data sources for identifying program participation--what benefits were provided to whom, when, and in what amount. (The exact reason why people are participating is often missing.) • Using administrative data is also advantageous for uncovering information that census and survey respondent are unlikely to provide in an interview • Because the data record for an individual or case is likely viewed often by the program staff, opportunities exist for correcting and updating the data fields • Could be used to explain some phenomenon in census and survey data • Low cost. Eg. Scandinavian or Nordic countries: Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, and Iceland

10. Advantages and challenges of using administrative sources for gender statistics Disadvantages • The lack of adequate control variables, variables may be limited because they are usually meant for internal use by institutions • Not all outcomes of interest are measured • Data are available only for the periods that the client is in the program • Level of reliability of administrative data is uncertain • Data are difficult to access because of confidentiality issues (as far as getting informed consent) and because of bureaucratic issues in obtaining approval • There is often a lack of documentation and information about quality • One must do ‘Ethnographic’ research to uncover "qualitative" information about the condition of the data • There is no clear understanding of the process behind the collection, processing, and storage of the administrative data.

11. Vital and Civil Registration Vital statistics are statistics on live births, deaths, fetal deaths, marriages and divorces. The most common way of collecting information on these events is through civil registration

12. Vital and Civil Registration United Nations Definitions of Vital Statistics and Civil Registration Systems • A vital statistics system is defined by the United Nations “as the total process of (a) collecting information by civil registration or enumeration on the frequency or occurrence of specified and defined vital events, as well as relevant characteristics of the events themselves and the person or persons concerned, and (b) compiling, processing, analyzing, evaluating, presenting, and disseminating these data in statistical form” (UN, 2001). • Civil registration, as defined by the United Nations, is the” continuous, permanent, compulsory, and universal recording of the occurrence and characteristics of vital events (live births, deaths, fetal deaths, marriages, and divorces) and other civil status events pertaining to the population as provided by decree, law or regulation, in accordance with the legal requirements in each country.”

13. Vital and Civil Registration Advantages • Cheaper or no cost • As with a continuous list, the information in a civil registry normally is updated regularly, making it possible to produce a current vital statistics on short notice • Because civil registries are used for a variety of administrative purposes, citizens can be given a short time frame for reporting changes to their personal information • Because the civil registry is updated regularly, it allows for a significant lead time for confirming the accuracy of the information • The civil registry can be used as the basis for a list of clients of any public service • Use directly for a direct social intervention

14. Vital and Civil Registration Disadvantages • It is very costly to establish and maintain • It is generally based on a national citizen identification number but not available • Treat to data security because of lack of confidentiality • In some countries, a civil registry conjures up thoughts of an Orwellian Big Brother, fuelling aversion to the creation of such a list • Poor methodology, storage,

15. Why Gender statistics? • Gender statistics help to identify and reflect gender issues,-that is, questions, problems and concerns related to all aspects of women’s and men’s lives • Gender statistics is a critical tool for assessing women’s and men’s participation in and contributions to all social and economic areas and reflect the underlying causes and consequences of gender inequality • Gender statistics help to identify and reflect specific needs, opportunities and contributions of women and men • Gender statistics help to identify and reflect the differences between what is expected, allowed and valued in a woman and men (Work, health, education, family life, general well-being) • Gender statistics adequately reflect differences and inequalities in the situation of women and men • Overall, Gender statistics unable society to remove the Vail of the vital role women play in society in the area of child birth, social cohesion, peace, economic growth and development, spiritual development, healthy life longevity (Married men are health and live longer that unmarried ones)

16. Importance of Gender statistics Overall to enhance LIBERTY and ECONOMIC well-being of citizens • Crafting of policies and programmes • Planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programes • Assess the contribution and women and men in an already distorted environment • Communication and reporting on women and men issues

17. Gender issues and concerns • The term ‘gender issue’ refers to any issue or concern determined by gender-based and/or sex-based differences between women and men. Gender issues include all aspects and concerns related to women’s and men’s lives and situation in society, to the way they interrelate, their differences in access to and use of resources, their activities, and how they react to changes, interventions and policies. • Thus, gender issue is any thing that impact women and men disproportionately • They are interdisciplinary and cross-national in scope

18. Gender issues and concerns: SDGs • The most visible Gender issues and concerns are embedded in the 7 cardinal Goals of the SDGs. Goal 1: No Poverty Goal 2: Zero Hunger Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being Goal 4: Quality Education Goal 5: Gender Equality Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production Goal 13: Climate Action Goal 14: Life Below Water Goal 15: Life on Land Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals

19. Strategies for Integrating a gender perspective into data collection GENDER MAINSTREAMING • Mainstreaming a gender perspective in statistics means that gender issues and gender based biases are systematically taken into account in the production of all official statistics and at all stages of data production (Hedman, Perucci and Sundström, 1996; United Nations-, 2001a, • “Mainstreaming gender perspective is the process of assessing the implications for women and men of any planned action, including legislation, policies or programs, in all areas and at all levels. It is a strategy for making women's as well as men's concerns and experiences an integral dimension of the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programs in all political, economic and societal spheres so that women and men benefit equally and inequality is not perpetuated. The ultimate goal is to achieve gender equality. 

20. Strategies of integrating a gender perspective into data collectionGender mainstreaming • Institutionalize gender statistics in all sectors in order to secure its sustainability (United Nations, 2006, 2009, 2012). • National statistical systems need to regularly collect, analyse an disseminate data that address relevant gender issues • Collecting new types of data expanding data collection in some areas to fill existing knowledge gaps and better disseminating data already collected • Build a strong collaboration between users and producers of data • Strengthen internal coordination within the national statistical office and the national statistical system • Sharing agreements between the national statistical office and other agencies of the national statistical system or other producers of data.

21. Strategies of integrating a gender perspective into data collectionGender mainstreaming • Gender-sensitive concepts and methods should be used in data collection in all statistical fields • Develop effective and correctly measurement for women’s and men’s participation in and contribution to society • The units of enumeration and the units of data collection should be adequately chosen to support the production of data • The units of enumeration and the units of data collection should be adequately chosen to support the production of data

22. Strategies of integrating a gender perspective into data collectionGender mainstreaming (Cont.) • Improve content, methods, classifications and measurements from a gender perspective • Communication and Presentation and dissemination of gender statistics should reach all potential target groups. • Gender statistics and the results of data-based gender analysis should be disseminated to a wide range of users • The dissemination of gender statistics should not be limited to gender-focused reports and databases but should include non-gender issues to improve interest and participation

23. Strategies of integrating a gender perspective into data collectionCapacity building and training • Training. Statisticians should be trained in how to incorporate a gender perspective into their regular work, from the design of data collection tools and fieldwork to data analysis and presentation. • At the second Global Forum on Gender Statistics, held in Accra in 2009, it was recognized that, despite global efforts and advocacy for gender statistics, including capacity building activities, there still persist gaps in knowledge of gender statistics among many professionals in national statistical offices (United Nations, 2009). • In paragraph 206 (d) of the Beijing Platform for Action, it was recommended that statistical services should designate or appoint staff to strengthen gender statistics programmes and ensure coordination, monitoring and linkage to all fields of statistical work and should prepare output that integrates statistics from the various subject areas (United Nations, 1996). • Capacity building and training, eg syllabus, text books, articles • Build training institutions to handle gender research and data development • Train teachers and journalist on gender reporting

24. Strategies of integrating a gender perspective into data collectionAdvocacy, Resources mobilization and budgeting • A strong and vibrant advocacy for integration of gender and statistics should exisit • Effective resources mobilization plans, strategies should be developed • Like the CAADP, a proportion of the national resources or budget should be allocated to gender and data management and development • Prepare and implement gender responsive budgets • A link between submission of data on gender should be a prerequisite for budget approval

25. Strategies of integrating a gender perspective into data collectionOrganizational level • Leadership. Mainstreaming and integration of a gender perspective in national statistical systems requires political and leadership will at all levels • Legal framework. The development of gender statistics should be specified within the legal framework of official statistical systems • Cooperation between users and producers of statistics. A dialogue should be fostered between national statistical offices and interested stakeholders, including women’s groups • Collaboration in developing and improving concepts and methods • Gender sensitive policies, programmes and projects should be developed at all levels • Gender unit/section/desk should be developed at all MDAs and private institutions • Gender statistical literacy, advocacy and sensitization should be developed

26. Strategies of integrating a gender perspective into data collection Advocacy • ADVOCACY for strong political commitment to and sustained investment for statistical capacity of national statistical offices including to coordinate and improve production, dissemination and use of data (President and Ministers should champion such a noble course) • Promote increased USEof data and statistics and regional knowledge exchange for follow-up and review • Enhance PARTNERSHIP support (private sector)

27. Strategies of integrating a gender perspective into data collectionApplied research and statistical procedure • What is the gender concern and issue • Identify the specific gender issue • Are there enough supporting data and statistics • Review the existing data • Specify data needs • Identify data gaps • Plan data collection • Collect and compile data • Process data (Store, archive, retrieve etc) • Analyse data, focusing on gender disaggregation • Publish and disseminate

28. Strategies of integrating a gender perspective into data collectionApplied research and statistical procedure (Cont.) • PROFILE of gender issues and concerns • Conduct Gender Needs assessment • Conduct STAKEHOLDER Consultations • Carry out Vulnerability assessment • Conduct statistical studies on Targeting • Indicators for monitoring and evaluation • Strengthen gender reporting

29. Challenges and gaps in integrating a gender perspective into data collection • The development of methodological materials on gender statistics has a rather short history • Definitions and conceptualization of gender issues • Compared to other types of statistics, few manuals and training resources have been dedicated to the development of gender statistics. • Gender stereotypes and social and cultural factors introduce gender bias into data collection, analysis and dissemination • Domination of male in gender sensitive data collection may prevent women from giving information freely and accurately

30. Priorities for future • Increase gender-disaggregation coverage • Improve gender-relevant data collection in • Mainstream gender-relevant issues and gender-disaggregation to applied statistical methods • Increasing gender based analysis and dissemination of data • Train more women to handle gender sensitive surveys to solicit the cooperation of women • Develop a policy that will allow men to take their wives to hospital and assist in the deliverance

31. End THANK YOU