ESA/STAT/AC.187/6

Global Database of Statistics and Indicators on Gender

Third Meeting of the Advisory Group on Global DatabaseIAEG-GS

29 January 2009

Presentation prepared by UNSDBased on the paper by Eva Gisela Ramirez

Interagency and expert group on gender statistics

• First meeting convened in December 2006 to promote development of gender statistics

• Agreed to define a Global Gender Statistics Programme. Two components identified:– To build a global gender statistics database– To develop gender statistics capacity through training

courses• At the second meeting in December 2007 in

Rome, – Gender Info 2007 was launched.– Two advisory groups were formed to address the

above mentioned goals.

Advisory Group on Databases

Objectives:• To develop a framework of statistics, indicators and

metadata• To review and identify key gender indicators and

statistics required to effectively monitor progress in the goals of gender equality and development

Membership:• Countries (6): Canada, Malawi, Mexico (chair), Malawi,

Philippines, Zimbabwe• International agencies: ECLAC, ESCWA, UNIFEM,

World Bank, World Bank Institute

Global gender statistics database

Uses• To analyze and compare the situation of women and

men in the world• To evaluate progress with respect to gender issues and

assess the efficacy of national, regional and international policies to narrow the gender gap

• A useful tool to evaluate improvements in statistical capacity to produce gender statistics

Characteristics• Policy relevance• Comparability across time and across countries• Based on harmonized concepts, definitions and methods

UNSD’s Gender Info 2007

• Constructed with available information from the international statistical system– Official statistics reported by national statistical

system to statistics offices of international organizations including UNSD, ILO, UNESCO, UNAIDS, IPU, WHO, etc.

– Statistics estimated by international organizations such as UNPD, UNICEF, etc.

• Includes 116 indicators for 6 main topics and 18 sub-topics

• Period coverage: last 2 decades

Table 1. Gender Info 2007 main topics and subtopics

Topic/sub-topic Indicators

EDUCATION 44

Enrolment 24

Literacy 4

Progression and completion 10

School life expectancy 2

Teaching staff 4

FAMILIES 14

Childbearing 8

Unions 6

Table 1. (cont.)

Topic/sub-topic Indicators

WORK 20

Economic activity 2

Employment 14

Unemployment 4

HEALTH AND NUTRITION 24

HIV/AIDS 11

Life expectancy 2

Mortality 5

Nutrition 2

Reproductive health 4

Table 1. (cont.)

Topic/sub-topic Indicators

PUBLIC LIFE AND DECISION MAKING

4

Political participation 4

POPULATION 10

Distribution 4

Size and composition 6

TOTAL NO. INDICATORS 116

In spite of the relevance of the greater part of the indicators, GenderInfo lacks data on subjects that at present are essential for gender analysis, notably:

• Migration• Causes of death• Unpaid work• Work in the informal sector• Informal employment• Time use and balance between family and labour life• Income• Poverty• Family and household dynamics• Participation in political society• Laws and institutions on equality and autonomy of women• Violence against women• Progress of national information systems in the production of

statistics addressing gender issues

Thematic imbalance in GenderInfo 2007

– Many indicators on education, particularly on enrolment, but none on effective school attendance (possibly due to small number of countries with such data)

– Second most numerous indicators are in Health, mainly on HIV/AIDS, but none on general mortality, morbidity, deaths by cause (except maternal mortality)

– Limited information on family dynamics, e.g. household headship by sex , types of household (nuclear, two-parent, single-parent, with young children, etc.), power relations in the family

Comparison with other gender information systems

Comparing with GID-OECD, World Bank and Global Economic Forum, ECE and ECLAC:

1. All share the same thematic structure and in each of the themes similar indicator sets, although each with some additional indicators

2. All initiatives have several years of development and have had time to make adjustments and improvements

Table 2. Comparison of the thematic structure of diverse systems of gender information systems

THEME Gender

Info

GID-

OECD

World Bank

Global Econ Forum

ECE

ECLAC

Population 10 10 13 5 14

Families 14 5 8 9 22

Work 20 11 9 9 16 11

Education 44 13 11 7 6 21

Health and nutrition 24 9 11 2 4 26

Public life & decision making 4 5 3 13 18

Social Institutions, basic rights

8 4

Table 2. (cont.)

THEME Gender

Info

GID-

OECD

World Bank

Global Econ Forum

ECE

ECLAC

Capabilities & human capital 17

Opportunity 7

Empowerment 3 3

Vulnerability 12

Population dynamics 8

Key indicators 8

Gender country profiles 12

Table 2. (cont.)

THEME Gender

Info

GID-

OECD

World Bank

Global Econ Forum

ECE

ECLAC

Life balance 8

Science and ITC 3

Crime and violence 6 5

TOTAL 116 61 94 41 82 117

3. GenderInfo does not offer an additional topic

that is different or a “plus” compared to the other existing systems. Its value rests on the official characteristic of its data, the institutional status, the longer period coverage, the integrity of the database, the versatility of its platform.

4. The GEF presents only a file per country with the indicator values and composite indexes and its location in the international ranking.

5. The systems that offer extensive themes are ECE and GEF. ECLAC has the most number of indicators.

A. Comparison of Indicators in GenderInfo vs. MDG

B. Comparison of GenderInfo vs. ECLAC on useful indicators to monitor Beijing Platform for Action

One of the uses of gender statistics and indicators is as a tool to monitor progress in the achievement of international commitments

A.GenderInfo vs. MDG Indicators

Goal Indics MDG

Indics

GenderInfo

1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger 9 2

2. Achieve universal primary education 3 3

3. Promote gender equality and empower women 3 3

4. Reduce child mortality 3 2

5. Improve maternal health 6 5

6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases 10 3

TOTAL 34 18

GenderInfo vs. ECLAC for Monitoring Beijing

Critical area of concern Indics ECLAC

Indics

GenderInfo

1. Poverty 8 0

2. Education and training 11 6

3. Health 10 3

4. Violence against women 6 0

5. Women in armed conflict 1 0

6. Women in the economy 16 1

7. Power and decision making 4 1

GenderInfo vs. ECLAC (cont.)

Critical area of concern Indics ECLAC

Indics

GenderInfo

8. Institutional mechanisms for the advancement of women

3 0

9. Human rights 1 0

10. Women and the media 1 0

11. Women and the environment 1 0

12. The girl child Included in other goals

TOTAL 62 11

Issues for consideration

• Expansion of thematic coverage

• Inclusion of indicators to monitor international agreements and resolutions

• Pay attention to related databases and initiatives

• Software selection– change?