1. A Proposal for a Regional Gender Statistics Programme in Africa
Workshop on Household Surveys and Measurement of Labour Force
14-18 April 2008, Maseru, Lesotho
Dimitri Sanga, Ph.D.
Senior Statistician

2. Outline
Background
The StatCom-Africa Working Group on Gender Statistics
Proposed regional programme on gender statistics
The way forward

3. Background The First Global Forum on Gender Statistics:
First meeting of the IAEG on Gender Statistics: 13 December 2008 in Rome, Italy
The IAEG to prepare a proposal for a Global Programme on Gender Statistics
Given the importance of gender statistics, there is a need for a development of a regional gender statistics programme

4. The StatCom-Africa Working Group on Gender Statistics4

5. Working Group on Gender Statistics
Fist meeting of the Statistical Commission for Africa: January 2008
Setting up of six working groups including one on Gender statistics
Rationale behind the setting up of the WG: Despite increasing awareness on the importance of gender statistics: no appreciable change in statistical programmes of NSOs and other data producers 5

6. Working Group on Gender Statistics (Cont’d)
There is a need to:
Accompany them with practical examples of how to engender statistics
Tap into existing initiatives
Formulate focused programmes at both national & regional levels
To achieve, build on some best practices:
Annual gender statistics meetings of statisticians, users, training institutions at the regional level
Meetings on gender issues and to learn from shared experiences on how to be gender responsive on all issues 6

7. Recommendations Setting up a regional programme by the UNECA
Organize a regional high level policy dialogue conference on gender statistics under the auspices of the UNECA
Setting up of a gender statistics network based on GESNET
The UNECA to ensure that the working group on gender statistics be functional on a continuous basis
Development of country gender statistics strategies drawn from the regional programme 7

8. Proposed regional programme on gender statistics8

9. Training component Engendering Curricula for:
Statistical training centres
NSO in-service training programmes
Development of a Gender Statistics course module for:
Refresher (On-the-job) gender statistics courses for the already employed statisticians 9

10. Engendering Censuses, surveys and administrative record systems
Data capture instruments
Field processes
Analysis
Report writing
Dissemination processes 10

11. Research component Compile and disseminate statistics on gender
Conduct gender-related impact analysis
Develop methodologies for the production of gender statistics 11

12. Other components Awareness creation component: Networking component:
Development, production and utilization of gender advocacy materials
Conducting workshops and seminars for various target audiences
Networking component:
Creation of a gender statistics network involving all stakeholders (Africa GESNET initiative)
Uploading useful resources/literature to be accessible to all
Engendering statistics in NSOs:
Mainstreaming gender in the NSO structures
Setting up an auditing unit in NSOs 12

13. The way forward
Organize an Africa Regional conference on Gender Statistics: June 2008 in Kampala:
A High-level Policy dialogue aimed at sensitising policy makers, such as NSO executives, key sector executives, training centres and key users
Form a task force to workout the details of the regional programme
Regional agenda to work as a guide to the different national activities
Set up a mechanism for monitoring and evaluation should be set up at both national and regional levels 13

14. Thank you! African Centre for Statistics
Visit us at