Statistical information is useful only if it has been disseminated in an accurate, relevant, and accessible way. Depending on the type of user, different statistical products and dissemination strategies are required. Please note that the following is mainly addressed to Statistical Offices but the information given should also be of interest to other institutions interested in disseminating gender statistics information.

Statistical products vary from detailed table products or databases that contain only one statistical field (and are mainly addressed to specialists) to products covering data from various statistical fields in the form of tables and charts that are enriched with written analyses, discussions of methodologies, and definitions of indicators (and are targeted at a broader audience). Means of publication range from traditional paper publications to electronic media (diskettes, tapes, CD-Rom) and to dissemination via the Internet. Pricing polices also play an important role in statistical dissemination. However, these will not be discussed here as the pricing of any gender statistics product will most likely follow the pricing policy applied by the publishing institution.

Consulting users and analysing their needs play an essential role when deciding which gender statistical product to publish. These steps are relevant to the entire gender statistics production process. Gender issues emerge in all policy areas. In order to shed light on them, data are needed from different statistical fields and from different sources. Although users will vary from experts to the general public, a gender statistics product is mainly oriented towards a large audience. Therefore, the gender statistics product should be user-friendly and generally attractive, presenting not only statistics and indicators but also text with analysis and illustration of data through graphs and tables. In the event that more detailed information is available for a specific area, reference can be made to the relevant publications in order to meet the need of those looking for a greater level of detail.

As outlined in the description of the production process, a marketing and dissemination plan for a gender statistical product should be developed in parallel with the production process, thereby ensuring that the target audience is reached efficiently. Strategies to improve data accessibility, such as dissemination via the Internet, can also play an important role.