Gender data are important tools for advancing gender equality, but to achieve their maximum impact, investments in gender data systems must be strengthened, not just in production of statistics but in building institutional capacity and strengthening data sharing and use.

To address the critical question of how diverse investments in gender data translate into meaningful change for women and girls, UN Women and PARIS21 are introducing the Gender Data Outlook (GDO), a report that assesses countries' levels of statistical maturity using a new global framework and corresponding measure for gender data capacity.

Measuring countries’ gender data capacity

The GDO introduces a novel approach to measuring gender data capacity across countries along four dimensions: 1) an enabling environment; 2) production; 3) accessibility; and 4) use. The GDO is unique in that it covers the full gender data value chain, emphasizing data use as the ultimate outcome of data production in order to drive impact of the data.

The GDO Index incorporates the first three dimensions, documenting how countries vary in their capacity to plan for and produce gender data and make it accessible to the public, identifying the factors that underpin and drive these differing capacities.

Data use, the fourth dimension, was not included in the index because of limited available data to measure it. Instead, the GDO also introduces a novel typology of gender data use based on a qualitative analysis of 58 cases of documented gender data use across 30 countries. 

GDO Index scores by country and dimension, 2024

While the GDO Index provides an overall score of country performance, a cluster analysis sorts countries by common traits. This approach deepens the understanding of gender data capacity and can guide programming and investments.

More information on how the cluster analysis was conducted, see the Methodological Note. 

GDO Index scores by cluster country groups, 2024

Based on 83 countries with available indicators, the model proposes five clusters. Each cluster has key features and bottlenecks. Cluster 1 countries usually have strong performances in most of the indicators. Cluster 2 countries demonstrate mostly strong performance but with some gaps in coordination, but typically have a more enabling environment and solid gender data production.

Cluster 3 countries show gaps in the enabling environment and data accessibility dimensions, and improvements are needed. Cluster 4 countries also need improvement around enabling environment and accessibility, but have limited dissemination capacity.

Cluster 5 countries show equally significant gaps in all three dimensions. Two countries (Monaco and Nigeria) didn’t fall in either of the five clusters.

Cluster characteristics can direct investments in capacity

Cluster characteristics can inform how investments in gender data capacity may be directed. Cluster 5 countries, with deficits across all dimensions, may need foundational investments in statistical capacity, while Cluster 4 countries, with gaps in enabling environment and data accessibility, may require targeted support in these areas. Additionally, some broad-based interventions may benefit both low- and high-capacity clusters, with a phased approach to investments.

Country-level results: GDO Index and scores by dimension and cluster groups, 2024

For more information on the Gender Data Outlook, email gender.data@unwomen.org.

See also: 4 September webinar launch of the Gender Data Outlook 2024: At a Glance