Current and recent UNECE methodological work focuses on the following areas:
- time use surveys
- indicators of gender equality
UNECE has developed the manual “Developing gender statistics: a practical tool”, which aims to guide statistical organizations in the production and use of gender statistics. The manual is a consolidated reference for any organization or individual interested in producing information about gender differences. It guides producers of gender statistics and assists in improving the availability of high-quality information on women and men. The World Bank has provided financial support to this work.
Time Use Surveys
What are Time Use Surveys?
Time Use Surveys (TUS) collect information from individuals on what they do with their time and how they allocate it to different activities over a specified period, typically 24 hours of one or more days. Statistics produced from these surveys show the activities people engage in, how much time is spent doing each of these activities, and the context in which they are undertaken.
Why are Time Use Surveys important?
Statistics from Time Use Surveys are widely used in policymaking, planning and research in many social and economic fields. By having information on how people spend their time, analysts and researchers are better able to understand the effects of policy decisions and their differences by gender.
How does UNECE contribute to the work on Time Use Surveys?
In 2010, the Bureau of the Conference of European Statisticians set up a Task Force on Time Use Surveys. The objective of this Task Force is to prepare guidelines and compilations of best practices to help countries in carrying out the TUS and to improve comparability of TUS results at the international level.
International guidelines and selected resource documentation on Time Use Surveys:
- Harmonised European time use surveys, 2008 guidelines, Eurostat (2008)
- Guide to Producing Statistics on Time Use: Measuring Paid and Unpaid Work, United Nations (2005)
- In-depth review of time use surveys in different countries, German Federal Statistical Office (2010)
- Comments by countries on in-depth review of time use surveys (2010)
Useful links and resources:
- United Nations Statistics Division
- United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP)
- Harmonized European Time Use Survey (HETUS)
- Centre for Time Use Research
- International Association for Time-Use Research (IATUR)
- Research Centre on Micro-Social Change (MISOC)
- Research Network on Time Use (RNTU)
Indicators of gender equality
In 2010, the Bureau of the Conference of European Statisticians created the Task Force on Indicators of Gender Equality to undertake a review of gender-sensitive indicators. The review aims to assess the indicators’ suitability for describing major gender inequalities, for monitoring gender-relevant policies, their regular availability and comparability across countries.
The objective of the Task Force is to improve the monitoring of gender equality in the UNECE region by consolidating and systematizing the existing proliferation of gender-relevant statistical indicators and by proposing ways for sustainable data collection on selected indicators.
For more information, please see Terms of Reference.
