SELF-ASSESSMENT QUESTION

• Is there a systemic and systematic approach to data collection and analysis of gender representation and equality in the public sector, including longitudinal studies and comparative analyses with other sectors of employment?
  
  
• Are the data collected and the analyses conducted used to better understand gender issues and to develop more effective policy solutions to close persistent gaps?

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

The systematic collection, monitoring and dissemination of reliable and relevant gender-disaggregated data and statistics are essential for an effective gender-sensitive policy process and informed policy choices. Up-to-date gender-disaggregated data is also crucial for public employment planning, development and training, monitoring, evaluating, and reporting on all types of human resources management programmes and initiatives. It is needed for developing ways to promote gender equality and equity in the public sector, to remove systemic barriers in recruitment and promotion processes, to monitor gender equality advances, and to hold public sector institutions and executives accountable.

As the knowledge about gender-related issues improves, data and research categories and definitions can be further refined. Some countries include a range of various intersecting identity factors such as age, education, language, geography, culture and income in their analysis. Such data should narrow the persistent evidence gaps in a number of policy areas, such as gender-based violence, work-life balance practices, entrepreneurship, defence and environment.

Rigorous policy development and implementation processes require quantitative and qualitative data, indicators and methods. Gathering data about employees’ perceptions of gender-sensitive issues and initiatives is also crucial. It is important to incorporate questions about gender issues in employee surveys, including identifying women’s and men’s needs, their motivation and satisfaction with employment conditions and career progression, and their expectations for the future.

Establishing a consolidated gender data and knowledge base and making it available to academic and policy researchers, policy makers and other stakeholders interested in gender equality can improve the understanding and response to gender-related issues and facilitate innovative crowdsourcing solutions.

ACTIONS TO CONSIDER

• Developing an analytical framework for gender equality issues with requirements for relevant data categories and data sources;
• Including the examination of a range of various intersecting identity factors such as age, education, language, geography, culture and income in the production of gender-disaggregated data;
• Promoting the use of gender-disaggregated data to inform the design and delivery of policies and programmes aiming to close remaining gender gaps in the public sector;
• Establishing a research agenda for systemic studies of gender equality as part of a broader knowledge development agenda on people and organisational management in the public sector;
• Creating open databases, as part of Open Government Initiative, with gender equality indicators in the public sector to enable crowdsourcing research and analyses.

PITFALLS TO AVOID

• Misconception of the data and knowledge needs for the development and the sustainability of gender equality policies and programmes;
• Rely exclusively on ad hoc data and data sources;
• Approach/study gender equality issues as an isolated topic.