International Seminar

Measuring, Managing and Evaluating Progress in Gender Equality
The Role of Statistics and Indicators

 

Stockholm, Sweden
Thursday, 20th November 2008

Background | Objectives | Structure | Presentations | Additional Material | Contact

 

Background

As part of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), gender equality is a key policy objective in developing countries. It is increasingly seen as providing a double dividend: not only guaranteeing a fundamental human right, but also boosting economic growth. With the increased interest in gender equality there has also been an increased focus on gender statistics and composite indicators.

 

Workshop objectives

Following the OECD Expert Meeting on “Measuring Gender Equality”, organised by the Development Centre in May 2007, the seminar focused on the role of statistics and indicators in measuring, managing and evaluating progress in gender equality.

 

Structure of the workshop

The workshop was organised in three sessions. The first two sessions focused on recent initiatives to measure, manage and evaluate progress in gender equality, with a focus on bringing global work to the national level. The last session aimed at synthesizing the debate from the previous sessions and enlarge it to the use of gender statistics in enabling effective policies and programmes.

 

Presentations

Keynote : In her keynote address, Ana Revenga, Director of the Poverty Reduction and Development Effectiveness Group at the World Bank, explained how statistics can be used to monitor results in poverty reduction and gender equality.

• Ana Revenga: Challenges of Measuring Poverty Reduction and Equality

 

Session I, “International Initiatives: The Role of Gender Statistics in Managing and Evaluating Results”, introduced gender statistics initiatives at the global level, and reviewed their role in managing and evaluating development results in gender equality. This session also allowed participants to reflect on the meaning of gender equality results and the definition of progress.

• Andrew Morrison (World Bank): Monitoring and Reporting on Gender Equality
• Roberto Bissio (Social Watch): The Gender Equity Index
• Denis Drechsler (OECD Development Centre): From Numbers to Dialogue

 

Session II, “Evaluating Gender Equality on the Ground: Case Studies” centred the debate on national statistics and their relevance for an effective evaluation at the national level. This session also emphasised the need to take into account both donor countries’ and partner countries’ perspectives by examining country case studies. Finally, it offered room to discuss ways to improve gender statistics for evaluation and the process of managing for development results at the national level.

• Mercy Kanyuka (NSO Malawi): Use of Gender Statistics to Inform, Monitor and Evaluate Education Policy and Programs in Malawi
• Ratna Sudarshan (ISST India): Gender Statistics and Development Policy
• Tamirat Yacob Chulta (Ethiopia): The Role of Social Statistics in Managing for Development Results in Ethiopia
• Solomon Mhlanga (Zimbabwe): The Role of Social Statistics in Managing for Development Results in Zimbabwe
  

Session III debated how good evaluations can be transformed into good policies. The debate was organized in the form of a round-table, with a focus on the way forward for using statistics and indicators for measuring gender performance, as well as for an effective implementation of new policies and programmes.

• Estelle Loiseau and Espen Prydz (OECD Development Centre): Workshop Summary

 

Additional Material

• Background Note
• Agenda
• List of Participants
• Summary Record
• Practical Information
• Launch of Wikigender 2.0 (beta)
• May 2007 Workshop on "Measuring Gender Equality"

 

Contact

For more information, thank you for contacting Ms. Estelle Loiseau (Estelle.Loiseau@oecd.org; Tel. +33 (0)1 4524 9559).

 

Related Documents

 

Workshop "Measuring Gender Equality"