The Observatory of Gender and Poverty at a glance: an example of the efforts to produce Gender Statistics in México (

Elements on the construction of the Observatory on gender and poverty The different way in which women and men live and experience poverty Traditional poverty measures using household as a unit of analysis, make poverty invisible at the individual level. Other important bias: poverty on individuals is not exclusive of poor households.

Issues considered on the elaboration of the observatory Deeper analysis of income measures and poverty lines Elaboration of indicators from household surveys.

Household as a unit of analysis for poverty measures Usually the household is considered as a harmonic unit, free of conflicts. Power conflicts are not taken into account. Asymmetric relationship is missed out Poverty affects household members, but poverty measures cannot be restricted to this.

 Gender inequality and female subordination as a bench mark –Because of their accumulated effects, their existence deepen the consequences of poverty –As poverty is not gender neutral, they affect all poverty dimensions –They are deeply rooted in prejudices and discrimination against women  Less access to resources  Offering tools Quantitatively –Scarcity of data on poverty disaggregated by sex and of variables from a gender perspective Qualitatively –Scarcity of data on how men and women live and perceive poverty (experiences and perceptions) ► Main reasons ►Conjunctural and immediate reasons

The Observatory of Gender and Poverty General objective –Offering inputs (new knowledge) for design, follow-up and evaluation of policy on poverty eradication Specific objective - To produce, systematize, analyze and disseminate information of poverty from a gender perspective

Sample of a survey (ENCELURB) carried out for evaluation of the National Programme on Poverty “Oportunidades” Hogares c/Oportunidades s/Oportunidades Observatorio Género y Pobreza (piezas de información) Quantitative data from regular data sources Poor within “Oportunidades ” Households outside “Oportunidades” Household survey “Observatorio” Deep interviews, focal groups, lexicon tests Households income and expenditure surveys (ENIGH’s) Evaluation Survey “Oportunidades” Time use survey, 2002 Survey on violence against women 2003 National Health survey, Census Sample, 2000 Sample of Indigenous “Census”, 2000 National labor surveys Observatory on gender and poverty (pieces of information)

Observatory on gender and poverty Series (Publications) Wide dissemination of information through the Web Site Other publications (booklets, brochures, etc) Dissemination of information Modules on: gender and poverty indicators surveys including poverty issues consultation of qualitative data various research papers on the Observatory Results Some examples on the potential use of the Observatory

Conflict  ¿ Is the delivery of monetary support directly to women of “Oportunidades” the cause of gender violence? This is a basic question of the survey on violence and decision making 2004 (Observatory) Sceneries: delivery of monetary support directly to women of Oportunidades may cause: Exacerbation of conflict between the couple Exacerbation of violence already present before the implementation of Oportunidades The level and manifestation of conflict is maintained without changes D ecrease of some aspects of manifestation of violence among the couple. Resolution without taking violence into account Resolution taking violence into account

This question was addressed only to women with “Oportunidades” reporting some situation of violence: The situation of violence increased, decreased or was it the same with the arrival of the Program “Oportunidades”? ( A higher percentage (20%-30%) answered that the situation of violence decreased at the arrival of Oportunidades

100% time Poor women (rural) 22.4 hrs Non poor women12 hrs 6 hours grinding corn 2 hours making fire Cooking meals 1 hour Collecting wood Fuente: Orozco Mónica, (2005) based on ENUT, 2002 The time of preparing meals increases mainly with the chores of preparing the corn dough and making fire

Household infrastructure saves time and efforts Hours saved during the week Stove Micro-waves refrigerator Total Fuente: Orozco Mónica, (2005) based on ENUT, 2002

Fuente: Cálculos propios del Observatorio de Género y Pobreza, a partir de la Muestra Censal 2000, INEGI. MujeresHombres Población indígena de 15 años por sexo según condición de analfabetismo Illiterate indigenous women: poor and non-poor, 2000

Research on the Observatory Lines of research and improvement of analytical and data basis –Effect of affirmative actions toward girls –Time use relationship (poverty of time or overburden of work) –To create a space for expert thinking on the issue of gender mainstreaming in the official measures of poverty –Incorporate indigenous poverty as a research issue

Maintaining production of basic knowledge for social policy, particularly regarding poverty eradication from a gender perspective Promotion of research and deepening on the mechanisms that are generating and reproducing situations of deprivation and vulnerability on women To move towards a new vision on the measurement of women’s poverty. What’s coming up?

Thank you!