Beyond measurement: Addressing gaps in gender data capacity for evidence-based policy and action

Abstract

Achieving national and global gender equality goals requires evidence-based policies that protect the rights of women and girls. High-quality gender data are crucial for informing these policies and evaluating their impact. Despite progress, 44 percent of the data needed to track the 51 gender-related SDG indicators, including SDG 5 on gender equality, remains unavailable. With only five years left to achieve the 2030 Agenda, it is vital to intensify efforts to produce, promote, and use gender statistics, to monitoring gender data capacity and guiding policymaking, advocacy, and progress toward gender equality. This paper explores three key questions: What do we know about gender data capacity? What tools exist to measure it? What remains unknown? It reviews assessment mechanisms, including UN Women and PARIS21's Gender Data Outlook, Open Data Watch's Gender Data Compass, the UN Statistics Division's Global Survey on Gender Statistics, and the World Bank's Statistical Performance Indicators. Each tool employs a distinct approach, providing complementary perspectives on gender data ecosystems with areas of convergence and, importantly, divergence, strengthening the collective ability to provide a comprehensive picture of gender data capacity. While these tools highlight areas of progress and remaining gaps, an important question lingers: do we truly know enough to drive meaningful change? The paper concludes with recommendations to strengthen national gender data systems through better coordination, sustainable investments, and collaborative action across governments, international organizations, and civil society.