Improving Gender Statistics A World Bank Plan of Action Sulekha Patel, Senior Demographer Development Data Group The World Bank

World Bank Gender Action Plan Objective: –Advance women’s economic empowerment through shared growth –Improve mainstreaming and integration of gender issues in the economic sectors Framework: –Action Plan targets four key markets, with potential to produce observable results in a reasonable time frame Product Finance Land labor

Gender Statistics Strategy: Provide support for Gender Action Plan Proposes actions in three areas: –Improve availability of gender indicators, based on mining data from surveys, initially working with target countries –Build national capacity to produce relevant data to make gender analysis an integral part of countries’ results-based agendas –Identify new indicators and establish strategies to support monitoring progress in four key markets identified by GAP and establish strategies to collect data

Modalities of operation Two main strategies: Collaboration: –with international agencies and academic and research institutions –Develop synergies with existing national and international programs Bank commitments: –Support for the Marrakech Action Plan for Statistics (MAPS) through the Development Grant Facility and the Trust Fund for Statistical Capacity Building –Raise the profile of gender statistics through Data Quality Assessment Frameworks and the General Data Dissemination System for social statistics –Disseminate data and statistics through the World Development Indicators

Strategy for gender statistics: 1. Improve availability Data mining of LSMS and other surveys in the Bank’s database: –Identify and fill gaps in coverage of data needed for monitoring progress of GAP –Identify new areas and indicators to monitor for gender equality Make recommendations for filling gaps: –Develop survey modules and model questions for surveys –Review scheduling and co-ordination of surveys –Examine other sources of data and experiences with data collection and reporting

Strategy for gender statistics: 2. Build national capacity Collaborate with other agencies to develop and roll out training to engender national statistics offices: –With UNECE to improve collection, use, and reporting of gender statistics (under way, and to be replicated in other regions) –To collect and use sex-disaggregated employment data in partnership with the ILO Work with existing programs to add gender indicators to household surveys and co-ordinate survey activities: –International Household Survey Network, –Accelerated Data Program for Sub-Saharan Africa –Pilot new modules in Core Welfare Indicators Questionnaire Under umbrella of MAPS, work with PARIS 21 to engender National Strategies for the Development of Statistics

Strategy for gender statistics: 3. Identify new indicators Working with this sub-group, establish partnerships with UN and other agencies and researchers to identify appropriate indicators, methodologies, and data collection modalities Launch a multi-year research and data collection exercise to increase availability of individual asset ownership