What is gender statistics?

 

WHY DO WE NEED GENDER STATISTICS?

 

• Statistics and indicators on the situation of women and men are needed
  
  
  • to formulate and monitor policies and plans
  • to monitor changes
  • to inform the public
    
    
• Statistical information on the situation of women and men in all spheres of society is an important tool in promoting equality and in monitoring progress towards full equality. It increases the awareness about the status of women in relation to men in the ECE region.
  
  
• Gender statistics can help eliminate gender-based stereotypes by providing evidence on the actual situation of women and men.
  
  
• Gender statistics provide an impartial and comparable basis for evaluating progress towards the internationally agreed goals to improve the situation of women.
  

Gender statistics are a valuable tool for gender advocates, policy makers, and others working on gender related issues. The importance of statistics was further strengthened at the Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing 1995) in setting the generation and dissemination of gender-disaggregated data and information as strategic objectives for planning and evaluation (Platform for Action and the Beijing Declaration, Strategic Objective H.3, United Nations 1996).