Towards Better and More Efficient Gender Data Support to LMICs: A New Gender Data Collaborative
Organization: Civil Society
Data Type: Cross-cutting
Region: Global
Timeline: Outreach to participants will begin in June 2024 with the first meeting to be held before the UNWDF. The commitment will be showcased at the UNWDF as part of Data2X and other partners accepted session on gender data collaboration. Additional meetings will occur until the next UNWDF in 2026.
Krista Jones Baptista (Contact Person)
kbaptista@unfoundation.org
Sponsoring Organization:
Data2x
Supporting Organization(s):
PARIS21, Open Data Watch, UN Women, World Bank, Equality Insights, and Equal Measures 2030.
Objective:
To create a collaborative network of organizations developing innovative products and tools to strengthen gender data systems in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This collaborative will create a more coherent and efficient approach to gender data technical assistance and research, ultimately enhancing the quality and availability of gender data globally.
Description:
Despite significant advancements in gender data since the SDGs, there remains untapped potential for further collaboration among organizations producing products and tools that intend to support countries in their efforts to build better gender data systems.
With the rise of gender data and AI, digitalization, new data sources, and other changing tides for National Statistical Systems (NSS), coordinated support is more important than ever. By fostering a more cohesive and coordinated approach among key agencies working in the gender data space, the gender data community can maximize the impact of collective efforts within partner countries, streamline resources, improve tools and products, exchange feedback on new concepts and methods of capacity building, and accelerate overall progress towards achieving gender equality through stronger gender data systems.
This commitment will foster collaborations among agencies and organizations spearheading innovative approaches and developing new products and tools to strengthen national gender data systems. Beyond the exchange of concepts, methodologies, and upcoming activities, this initiative will facilitate an opportunity for agencies and organizations to collectively strategize ways to coordinate support to shared target countries. Members will showcase new initiatives and tools, inviting comments and suggestions to enhance their development. Additionally, they will explore avenues to integrate these initiatives with existing work already in progress. Members will share countries of focus for programs and lessons learned from their experiences.
The commitment will explore several key activities all aimed at improving access to high quality and efficient tools for countries. Partners will contribute resources, including their expertise and staff time, to support the collaborative platform and coordination efforts. This list is not exhaustive and final selection of activities will be decided by demands and inputs of the participating members:
- 1. Formation of a Collaborative: Partners will come together to establish a collaborative platform for communication, knowledge sharing, and coordination. This collaborative will meet twice a year (virtually or in-person) to share best practices, resources, and insights related to gender data knowledge products, innovative tools, and country capacity development plans. Participation is intended to be light touch for members. If the need for a Secretariat arises, Data2X is open to facilitating such a role.
- 2. Development of Guidelines and Principles for country support: The collaborative could develop guidelines and principles to govern collaboration and ensure alignment of goals and objectives. These guidelines could outline protocols for data and info sharing among the participating organizations, fostering a culture of trust and cooperation among partners, with the aim of improving quality and service of technical assistance in partner countries.
- 3. Knowledge Exchange, Feedback and Peer Reviews: The collaborative offers partners a dedicated space to exchange insights, share ongoing and upcoming work, and provide feedback through peer reviews. Partners can showcase their initiatives, discuss challenges, receive constructive feedback, and explore opportunities for collaboration. Through regular engagement, this activity fosters a dynamic community of practice focused on driving continuous improvement and innovation in gender data efforts.
- 4. Advocacy and Outreach: The commitment will explore joint outreach efforts to raise awareness of the importance of gender data for advancing gender equality.
Progress will be monitored through regular meetings of the collaborative partners, annual evaluations of activities and outcomes, and feedback mechanisms from members. Metrics such as the number of partners involved, the frequency of knowledge sharing activities, and any new collaborations or partnerships that resulted from such activities will be used to assess progress.