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It's time to makebold commitments to gender data

Unlocking opportunities for women, adolescents, and girls and safeguarding their rights is critical to driving recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and advancing long-term progress on the Sustainable Development Goals. After a year that widened economic disparities, exacerbated social injustice, and reversed progress on gender equality, urgent action is needed to secure the gains of the past generation and ensure an even brighter future for the next.

What is gender data?

Data that is disaggregated by sex, and reflects gender issues, including roles, relations, and inequalities. It can be both quantitative and qualitative, and collection methods account for stereotypes, social norms, and other factors that may introduce bias.

Gender DataIs powerful

  • Uncovers gender inequality
  • Illuminates solutions
  • Helps monitor progress

Gender DataDrives progress

More and better gender data leads to policies that are:

  • Equitable
  • Effective
  • Responsive

Why does gender data matter?

Gender data is an effective tool for tracking and driving progress. But it’s not always prioritized by global leaders, leading to gender data gaps that can exacerbate inequalities. Learn how commitments to gender data from governments, donors, civil society, and the private sector can help drive innovative solutions to gender equality.

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Mind the gaps

Gender data is an essential tool to evaluate progress on any commitment made to advance gender equality, whether related to the Generation Equality Forum, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), or national-level targets. If we can’t track it, we can’t achieve it. However, recent estimates reveal that gender data faces consistent challenges:

< 50 %

In 2021, less than half of countries had data available to monitor SDG 5 (gender equality); fewer still regularly collected that data over time.

$450 million

Worldwide, core gender data systems have been underfunded by roughly $450 million per year over the past six years.

Not a strong priority

Gender data is underprioritized in official Generation Equality materials.

6%

Just 6% of commitments in the Generation Equality Forum commitments map mention gender data.

25%

75% of the commitments are about producing gender data and only 25% are about using it.

20%

Gender-Based Violence

20%

Technology & Innovation for Gender Equality

16%

Economic Justice & Rights

16%

Feminist Movements & Leadership

15%

Bodily Autonomy & SRHR

13%

Feminist Action for Climate Justice

Most gender data commitments were related to the Gender-Based Violence and Technology & Innovation for Gender Equality Action Coalitions.

We need bold actionto make gender equality real

Governments, donors, civil society, and the private sector must commit to:

Collect and disaggregate gender data
Fund gender data gaps
Use gender data for policymaking
Share best practices
Increase accountability for gender data

Makea difference

Everyone can make a commitment to gender data. Progress on gender equality will require concerted action and partnership across sectors. We urge all commitment makers to pledge to close critical gender data gaps and to use gender data to guide decision-making.

Make a commitment

Closing gender data gaps requires leadership from everyone.

commit to progress

Elevate gender data

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