Namibia National Gender Statistics Assessment

This report presents the findings of the assessment of the gender data and capacity gaps in Namibia. Undertaken by the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) and the Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication, and Social Welfare (MGEPESW) in partnership with UN Women, the assessment aimed to take stock of gender statistics in the country and use the results to further integrate a gender perspective into national strategic planning for statistical production, use, and dissemination. The work was led by a steering committee consisting of representatives from six government offices, ministries, and agencies (OMAs). The assessment methodology was based on the PARIS21 and UN Women conceptual framework for assessing gender statistics systems framework for identifying gender statistics data and capacity gaps. Capacity development was approached comprehensively from the following perspectives: resources; skills and knowledge; management; politics and power; and incentives. A mixed methods methodology which included a document review, group interview, and the completion of four standard questionnaires that form part of the framework was applied. This assessment report includes a short chapter which provides a high-level description of the countries’ gender context using statistics. Even though data is available over a wide range of topics, the review showed that currently available data sources are several years old (LFS 2018, NIDS 2016, DHS 2013) and do not provide an up-to-date, post-COVID-19-pandemic picture of the status of women in Namibia. While the Namibia Population and Housing Census is due to be conducted in 2023 and NSA is putting renewed emphasis on improving the quality and use of administrative data, this will not be enough to meet the gender statistics requirements of the country in the short and medium term.