This paper gives an account of some of the authors' experiences as a group of women academics, interested in exploring the patterns of women's paid employment in Northern Ireland and understanding its contribution both to their lives and to the dynamics of the local economy. It examines the form that feminist criticism of official statistics has taken in the UK context. Next, it considers the case of Northern Ireland as a specific context for the debate about and reform of statistical practice. The authors argue that, while more use can be made of existing data sets, there need to be adjustments to customary practice so as better to reflect the reality of employment of women.
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