Building laws or policies without data on who is affected or how is like starting a long journey without a map. Yet, this was the global reality a decade ago when the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted: only 26% of the gender-related data needed to monitor progress was available. Three-quarters of the map was missing.
The SDGs demanded better. Women and girls deserve more. So, UN Women launched Women Count in 2016 with a bold, clear and urgent mission: close gender gaps so governments, institutions and communities can make better decisions. Ten years later, it has become one of the most influential global initiatives advancing gender equality through data – transforming how countries measure and monitor progress, and how they act on it.
When Women Count began, the gender data landscape was fragmented and underfinanced. Many countries lacked the resources, tools or capacity to collect and use gender statistics effectively. Critical questions about women’s economic empowerment, unpaid care work, climate change, safety and security, participation, and access to services typically went unanswered. Women and girls from marginalized groups were often invisible.
Over the past decade, Women Count has changed that. With an investment of USD $81 million, the programme has supported 100 countries by strengthening statistical systems, expanding production and improving access to gender data.
We have helped countries adopt gender statistics strategies, trained more than 20,000 people, and produced over 200 publications with data and methodological guidance. Our 265 data collection initiatives include improved administrative sources and promoting citizen data, 24 time use surveys to measure unpaid care work, 20 violence against women surveys, 9 gender environment surveys, and crisis related assessments, from COVID 19 rapid gender assessments in 52 countries to measuring the “shadow pandemic” of violence against women in 15 more.
To expand access, our Data Hub, with more than 1 million views annually, offers stories, interactive data visualizations and user-friendly resources. We’ve also strengthened how gender statistics are communicated, through training, media partnerships, and data-informed multimedia and art.
Why does this matter? Because gender data drives change. We have documented 80 cases where Women Count data shaped real outcomes, including 51 laws and policies in 31 countries. Our work has influenced employment programmes in Uruguay, extractive industry policies in Senegal, migration and economic programmes in Ethiopia, public audits in North Macedonia, and rural women’s land ownership in Colombia. Time-use surveys have led to policies in Kenya and Senegal, and paternity leave-taking in Georgia. Violence against women surveys have informed new laws, advocacy and services in Albania, Colombia, Georgia, Morocco, Tanzania and Uganda. Gender data has improved disaster responses in Viet Nam, and gender and environment surveys shaped national policies, adaptation and mitigation plans in Samoa and Tonga. Training citizens in Kenya to collect data helped target emergency relief to women during floods. Humanitarian data in Gaza helped prioritize emergency assistance for more than 222,000 women and girls from 2023–2025. And our COVID-19 rapid assessments informed policies and recovery plans in several countries.
What’s more, 63% of gender-related SDG data are now available – more than double that in 2016. And countries have more ‘disaggregated’ data – on age, gender, location, ethnicity, disability, migratory status and intersecting inequalities – showing who is most marginalized so they’re not left behind.
There is power in partnerships, and Women Count thrives because of our partners from national statistical offices, governments, the UN, international organizations, the private sector, civil society, academia, media and others.
But none of this would be possible without the generous support of our donors this past decade, and we’re particularly grateful to those continuing to support us in phase III – in 2026–2029.
Women Count has a proven pathway for change. The programme remains as essential as it was a decade ago. But despite progress, gender inequality is still undermeasured, underprioritized and underfunded. Gender statistics receive less than 0.2% of international development funding for gender equality. Many countries still face major data gaps, limited capacity and weak links between producers and users.
Meanwhile, the world is more crisis affected and polarized, with rising conflict, climate threats and backlash against women’s rights, and funding cuts to key statistical programmes threaten progress. Without strong gender data, women and girls risk becoming invisible again.
But Women Count has shown resilience—especially during COVID 19—and is ready for the road ahead. We’re scaling what works, expanding partnerships and calling for greater investments.
On this journey, our north star remains the same: not just counting women and girls, but also ensuring their voices and experiences count, and that their rights are realized.
