Gender data gaps that hamper our understanding of the depth, nature and evolution of those inequalities

 Nokor Khmer, Oct. 31, 2020

The International Labour Organization (ILO), has recently produced two ILO reports on lessons from the pandemic.  The first report is "Gender relevance of the 19th ICLS statistical standards and the second on is Closing gender data gaps in the world of work-role of the 19th ICLS standards.

Many countries have dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic similarly and different ranking from lockdown to self-protective measures without closing any business.  The pandemic has laid bare not only inequalities in the world of work, including between women and men, but it has also further emphasised the gender data gaps that hamper our understanding of the depth, nature and evolution of those inequalities.  

1. Gender relevance of the 19th ICLS statistical standards 

The summary of this report includes:

• This has never been more relevant given the unequal gender impact of COVID-19 on paid work, unpaid work and labour market engagement. 
• The precise gender patterns shown in the data of the pilot studies may not be repeated in other settings, or in fully representative datasets for the countries covered, nonetheless the range of analysis can be replicated where the different forms of work have been covered. Many of the patterns have been shown to be broadly similar in other settings.
• Perhaps the key takeaway message lies in the additional gender relevant data highlighted, which was either conceptually not feasible (for example the separation of employment and own-use production of goods) or very rare in practice (for example measurement of time spent in own-use provision of services sometimes covered by time-use surveys which are relatively rare due to complexity and cost).
  

2.  Closing gender data gaps in the world of work – role of the 19th ICLS standards 

It concluded that countries need to consider the range of data demands they are facing and resources available in deciding on the content of household survey questionnaires, including the Labour Force Survey (LFS). When developing questionnaires, the countries need to have a careful balance needs to be sought between topic coverage and respondent burden. It would neither be feasible nor desirable to measure all forms of work on a very regular basis. Each country would need to make choices on the appropriate periodicity of measurement for different forms of work and different levels of detail. There should also be synergies in designing a system of surveys implemented over time to deliver the full range of data required. 

In full: https://ilostat.ilo.org/lessons-from-the-pandemic-building-better-gender-data-for-the-future/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=lessons-from-the-pandemic-building-better-gender-data-for-the-future

Download:  Gender relevance of the 19th ICLS statistical standards

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