Background 

The Department of Gender Affairs (DGA) and the Statistics Authority (SA) of Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) are jointly collaborating with the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) subregional headquarters for the Caribbean to organize a national workshop on Gender Statistics and Analysis. As the country’s national machinery for gender equality, DGA promotes equity and advancement opportunities for women, men and children of the TCI through the formulation and implementation of evidence-based policies and programmes that contribute to social justice and the elimination of prejudice and discrimination of every form. In implementing its mandate, DGA works collaboratively with other Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the Government of TCI. The department also relies on data, especially sex-disaggregated data to inform its policy recommendations to the government and programming of services to citizens. Likewise, as the National Statistical Office of Turks and Caicos Islands, SA is the custodian of official data and statistic and provides technical guidance to other government departments on statistical matters. Therefore, DGA and SA share a common interest in improving the statistical capacity of Turks and Caicos Islands in performing gender analysis that is informed by gender statistics, including the collection and analysis of sex-disaggregated data, which is a critical component in advancing gender equality and sustainable development in the TCI.

The current workshop builds on previous collaborations between ECLAC subregional headquarters for the Caribbean and DGA. Towards strengthening DGA’s capacity to fulfil its mission and vision, ECLAC held a virtual training in statistics for Turks and Caicos Islands during 17-18 September 2024. This introductory training in statistics covered topics such as introduction to basic statistics, introduction to gender statistics, gender data collection and analysis, and data dissemination and visualization.  The virtual training was followed by an in-person workshop conducted by ECLAC in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands during 13-14 November 2024. The in-person workshop covered topics such as use of data in gender-responsive policy formulation, international standards, and best practices in gender statistics. Participants also discussed ideas for capacity building in gender data collection in Turks and Caicos Islands. Following the in-person workshop, DGA and ECLAC agreed to conduct a follow up workshop as an ongoing process of strengthening technical capacity for gender statistics and analysis in Turks and Caicos Islands. Therefore, the current workshop is the first step towards this capacity strengthening. 

The workshop consists of two modules. The first module will be a refresher of the previous virtual training conducted in 2024, specifically targeting persons who did not participate in that training. It also provides an opportunity for those who took part in the training, but who require a refresher to be prepared better prepared for the second module, which will take on a hands-on approach of conducting statistical analysis of gender data incoporating group work. 

The topics to be covered in the workshop are as follows:

MODULE I

1. Introduction to basic statistics
2. Introduction to gender statistics
3. Gender data collection and analysis
4. Data dissemination and visualization

MODULE II

1. Point in time analysis of gender data
2. Trend analysis of gender data
3. Introduction to statistical forecasting

The draft programme for the workshop is provided in the appendix.

Objectives 

The overall objective of this technical assistance is to improve the technical capacity of staff and management of the Department of Gender Affairs, the Statistical Authority, and other Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Government of Turks and Caicos Islands to collect, analyze, utilize and disseminate sex-disaggregated data in accordance with international standards and best practices.