XXV International Meeting on Gender Statistics Strengthens Partnerships to Promote Evidence-Based Gender Equality Policies

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• In the opening session, the use of statistical information and innovation to strengthen the gender perspective in public policy design and implementation was highlighted.

The XXV International Meeting on Gender Statistics (EIEG) began in Aguascalientes, Mexico, under the theme "25 years of partnerships to strengthen evidence-based equality policies." This event brings together over 170 participants in person and more than 300 virtually, representing 18 countries. Representatives from the public sector, academia, and international organizations are participating.

The event is organized by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) of Mexico, the National Institute for Women (Inmujeres), the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women).

Over its 25 years, the EIEG, held annually at the INEGI headquarters in Aguascalientes, has become one of the main forums for reflection, analysis, and debate on the production and use of gender statistics.

During the opening session, the heads of the host institutions, Graciela Márquez Colín, President of INEGI; Nadine Gasman, President of Inmujeres; Ana Güezmes, Director of the Division for Gender Affairs at ECLAC; and María-Noel Vaeza, UN Women Regional Director for the Americas and the Caribbean, emphasized the importance of such meetings. The opening session also included the participation of María Teresa Jiménez, Governor of Aguascalientes.

Graciela Márquez highlighted that this meeting is a well-established institution with great potential for the future. She pointed out that, over the last 25 years, many women in the region have taken on leadership roles, but there is still potential for more; that the number of specialists and analysts has increased, but this will continue to grow; and that the capacity to generate data that benefits women has expanded significantly, but further progress will be needed.

Nadine Gasman noted that the region has much to celebrate in these 25 years, as it is a historic moment leading up to the XVI Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean. "Statistics are a way of seeing and giving voice to the demands of the feminist movement, bringing to the forefront issues that were previously invisible. By quantifying them, we are able to shift conceptual frameworks and ensure that public policies respond to the needs of women," she said.

Ana Güezmes, Director of the Division for Gender Affairs at ECLAC, pointed out that "in these 25 years, the EIEG has been essential in making gender inequalities visible and breaking the statistical silence. Initially, only six countries measured time use; today, 23 countries have official measurements, 18 report on the SDG indicator related to unpaid care work, and five have incorporated satellite accounts for the care economy. These achievements have been crucial in advancing agreements and standards at the Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean and the Statistical Conference of the Americas. We have a shared responsibility to transform data into information, information into knowledge, and knowledge into political decisions that support a sustainable future."

María-Noel Vaeza, UN Women Regional Director for the Americas and the Caribbean, commented that "UN Women remains committed to generating data and analysis that make visible the current realities of women and men, monitor progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, and provide robust evidence to support public policy decision-making."

Since 1999, the International Meetings on Gender Statistics in Mexico have served as a regional reference point, promoting the exchange of experiences and discussions on the methodological challenges of incorporating a gender perspective into statistical production. These meetings have addressed key issues such as gender-based violence, poverty, gender inequality, unpaid work and care/unpaid domestic and care work, and women’s autonomy.

In 2007, the EIEG was institutionalized and recognized by the Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean, increasing its impact on regional policies. Over the past 25 years, the Meeting has been a cornerstone in building strategic partnerships, ensuring that statistical information is not only relevant but also a powerful tool for developing public policies that promote gender equality in the region.

In its 25th edition, the EIEG not only celebrates its legacy but also reaffirms its commitment to the future. It contributes to building a care society based on solid statistics and clear evidence. By recognizing the central role of care in the sustainability of life and the planet, this meeting emphasizes the need to continue progressing toward sustainable gender equality, grounded in the production and use of statistics that reflect the realities of women. In this way, it encourages the adoption of transformative policies that not only make inequalities visible but also drive structural changes. This will help make gender equality a tangible reality across the region by integrating the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of sustainable development.

Until September 4, discussions will focus on statistical production related to care needs, methodological advances in time-use surveys as a key tool for showcasing the integral contributions of women to economies, measurements on economic autonomy for women, advances and challenges in measuring gender-based violence, and the use of big data with a gender perspective, among other topics.

Participants will also discuss the gender perspective and innovation in generating indicators for monitoring the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Regional Gender Agenda.

As part of the 25th anniversary of the EIEG, and in line with efforts to make statistical information accessible to the public, the "Gender and Work" Editathon will be held for the first time. In this project, Wikimedia Mexico and the Autonomous University of Aguascalientes collaborate, with students and faculty editing around 30 Wikipedia articles to include data on women’s participation in the formal labor market, household work/domestic work, care activities, and other related topics.

The organizing institutions invite everyone to join the open dialogue on generating statistical information that supports public policies advancing gender equality.

Recordings of the activities can be found on the event microsite: https://www.inegi.org.mx/eventos/2024/genero/ and on INEGI Informa YouTube channel. The discussion topics include: the care society, time-use surveys, the integration and strengthening of care systems, economic autonomy for women, responses to gender-based violence, innovation in gender statistics, and monitoring progress toward gender equality through SDG indicators.