Statement on Strengthening Gender-Disaggregated Data and Evidence-Based Policymaking for SDG5
My name is Grace Wanabo and I speak on behalf of the Regional Civil Society Engagement Mechanism, and will address the question of gender-disaggregated data and evidence-based policymaking.
Achieving SDG5 requires urgent action to strengthen gender-disaggregated data collection, analysis, and reporting. Without high-quality, intersectional data, gender inequalities remain hidden, limiting the effectiveness of policies and interventions. The norm in data gathering still centers on a white, non-disabled man under 55, marginalizing the intersecting realities of women, people with disabilities, racialized groups, and other structurally excluded communities. Even when data is collected on these groups, it is often incomplete, siloed, or takes the household as the base unit for analysis, obscuring intra-household gender dynamics. An example of this is our discussions here today on care, which leaves out racialisation in care work.
Gender-responsive policies cannot succeed without accurate, timely, and disaggregated data along multiple lines of identity, including gender, age, disability, and racialised group. Governments and institutions must implement systematic, coordinated, and privacy-conscious data collection. This data must not only inform policy but also be publicly accessible, ensuring transparency and accountability.
While feminist alternative data exists, it lacks official recognition. Qualitative data is frequently undervalued compared to quantitative data. Community-based data gathering is imperative to SDG implementation, particularly for reaching those most excluded.
Gender-based violence is a glaring area where lack of data hinders progress. Official data statements from member states usually do not show the reality of GBV. Because most cases do not make it to the police, court and media. In conflict zones, underreporting is widespread, resulting in patterns of violence that go unaddressed. Domestic violence is stigmatised as a “personal” and “family” issue. Furthermore, data is missing on online violence, despite a sharp rise in digital abuse targeting women and LGBTQI individuals. If violence is not measured – it is ignored. And when it is ignored, it is allowed to continue.
Strengthening gender-disaggregated data thus is not just a technical necessity. It is a matter of justice, safety, equity, and human rights. To truly leave no one behind, we must prioritize data-driven solutions and ensure that policy is grounded in reality, not assumptions.
My name is Grace Wanabo and I speak on behalf of the Regional Civil Society Engagement Mechanism, and will address the question of gender-disaggregated data and evidence-based policymaking.
Achieving SDG5 requires urgent action to strengthen gender-disaggregated data collection, analysis, and reporting. Without high-quality, intersectional data, gender inequalities remain hidden, limiting the effectiveness of policies and interventions. The norm in data gathering still centers on a white, non-disabled man under 55, marginalizing the intersecting realities of women, people with disabilities, racialized groups, and other structurally excluded communities. Even when data is collected on these groups, it is often incomplete, siloed, or takes the household as the base unit for analysis, obscuring intra-household gender dynamics. An example of this is our discussions here today on care, which leaves out racialisation in care work.
Gender-responsive policies cannot succeed without accurate, timely, and disaggregated data along multiple lines of identity, including gender, age, disability, and racialised group. Governments and institutions must implement systematic, coordinated, and privacy-conscious data collection. This data must not only inform policy but also be publicly accessible, ensuring transparency and accountability.
While feminist alternative data exists, it lacks official recognition. Qualitative data is frequently undervalued compared to quantitative data. Community-based data gathering is imperative to SDG implementation, particularly for reaching those most excluded.
Gender-based violence is a glaring area where lack of data hinders progress. Official data statements from member states usually do not show the reality of GBV. Because most cases do not make it to the police, court and media. In conflict zones, underreporting is widespread, resulting in patterns of violence that go unaddressed. Domestic violence is stigmatised as a “personal” and “family” issue. Furthermore, data is missing on online violence, despite a sharp rise in digital abuse targeting women and LGBTQI individuals. If violence is not measured – it is ignored. And when it is ignored, it is allowed to continue.
Strengthening gender-disaggregated data thus is not just a technical necessity. It is a matter of justice, safety, equity, and human rights. To truly leave no one behind, we must prioritize data-driven solutions and ensure that policy is grounded in reality, not assumptions.