Gender Data 101 for Generation Equality Commitment Makers

As part of the Generation Equality Commitment Makers Capacity Building Series, UN Women Regional Office for East and Southern Africa hosted its inaugural session to equip Generation Equality stakeholders with critical tools for advocacy and programming.

Following requests for targeted capacity building in gender data from Commitment Makers in the region, particularly youth and grassroots organizations, Generation Equality co-developed the session with Women Count, UN Women’s flagship gender data and statistics programme.

The session drew attention to the fundamentals and importance of gender statistics for advocacy, programming and policy and decision-making while highlighting data capacity gaps in the region. While ongoing efforts have improved the availability and use of gender data in the region, many countries still face systemic barriers including weak legal frameworks, limited use of gender data, and challenges in data interpretation and communication.

Regional Gender Statistics Consultant, Caroline Mutwiri, kicked off with the Fundamentals of Gender Statistics, which explored key terminologies, the multidisciplinary nature of gender data, and its practical applications. Mutwiri interrogated the difference between sex-disaggregated data and true gender statistics, highlighting the role of gender statistics in capturing the lived realities of women and girls and the systemic inequalities they face.

Regional Gender Statistics Communications Specialist, Sylvia Maina, delivered insights on Using Data to Inform Advocacy and Programming and made the case for using gender data through a powerful UN Women video titled “Mama Maryam”. The video creatively highlighted several issues faced by women and girls including the burden of unpaid care and domestic work, de-prioritization for education in instances when resources are scarce, and disinheritance of widows. The session also outlined the barriers to data use, which largely comprise limited literacy in interpretation, lack of trust between data producers and users, and limited enforcement frameworks mandating the use of gender data.

The session also discussed the integration of gender perspectives into policy design, budgeting, and implementation as a foundation of rights-based programming.

Maina stressed the importance of communicating versus disseminating gender statistics as a foundation for promoting use distinguishing between dissemination – merely making statistics available - and communication - delivering tailored messages that drive action. Maina also showcased a range of data products, from infographics and briefs to databases and reports, and encouraged participants to think critically about how to use these tools to further their advocacy work.

Closing the session, Hanna Miruri, a grassroots leader and Gender Data Champion from GROOTS Kenya shared the perspective of women at the community level and highlighted the powerful role gender data in exposing inequalities. Miruri called for more accessible data in local languages and visual formats, more capacity building, and greater inclusion of grassroots women in data collection and validation processes. “We believe in data because it speaks first” she said. “We need platforms that are tailored to grassroots women, where we can share our realities, contribute to data generation, and influence decision-making”

The session concluded with a renewed call for sustained dialogue and investment in data literacy and use of gender data with the emphasis that gender data is not just about numbers but about visibility, equity, and impact.