Spotlighting gender data at the first-ever UN World Data Forum

Date: Monday, 16 January 2017

At the first-ever United Nations World Data Forum in Cape Town, South Africa from 15 – 18 January, data and statistics experts from around the world will join governments, private sector, civil society and academia, in exploring innovative ways to measure progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

At the World Data Forum, UN Women together with Data2X will co-host an official event on “Gender Data for Decision-Making: Strengthening the Links”, highlighting the need for greater collaboration across all sectors towards the production and use of quality gender statistics.

The @UNDataForum begins today! Here's one reason we need better data for all. Learn more: https://t.co/IPWCmGTK99 #UNDataForum #genderdata pic.twitter.com/FED1SNrvhS
— UN Women (@UN_Women) January 15, 2017

With 80 per cent of the indicators for gender equality across the SDGs lacking data, statistics that adequately reflect the lived realities of women and men, girls and boys, are indispensable tools for monitoring progress and developing evidence-based policies and solutions to achieve gender equality and women’s empowerment.

The effective implementation and monitoring of the SDGs requires an unprecedented level of engagement from a multitude of stakeholders. The event will bring together national statisticians, public officials, civil society and data experts for a lively dialogue on what is needed to strengthen the collaboration between producers and users of gender data. The discussions will touch on a number of topics, including how to produce a shared vision for gender data at the national level; how to improve the capacities of gender specialists and statisticians vis-à-vis gender-sensitive data; and how gender data production and use can lead to improved policies and programmes on the ground.

The panel, moderated by Emily Courey-Pryor, Executive Director, Data2X, will include Purna Sen, Director, Policy Division, UN Women; Norah Madaya, Director, Statistics Coordination Services, Uganda Bureau of Statistics; Saara Romu, Senior Project Officer, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; and Ineke Buskens, Project Leader and Research Director, GRACE Project.

UN Women will also present its recently launched flagship programme, “Making Every Woman and Girl Count”, a groundbreaking public-private initiative that will support countries to improve the production, accessibility and use of gender statistics over the course of five years.

To find out how you can get involved in Making Every Woman and Girl Count, contact UN Women at gender.data[at]unwomen.org.

Let's make every woman and girl count! #UNDataForum #genderdata pic.twitter.com/NrD4TgzVHr
— UN Women (@UN_Women) January 16, 2017