In this phase, it is recommended that information is gathered on the situation of women and men in a particular area. This means looking for sex-disaggregated data and gender statistics, as well as checking for the existence of studies, programmes or projects reports, and/or evaluations from previous periods.
Did you know that EIGE has a Gender Statistics Database? Check whether there are relevant statistics to feed into your analysis.
Examples of gender and digital agenda statistics
The statistics in this section track the usage of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT). More specifically, statistics on the information society monitor three aspects:
the completion of a single European information space
innovation and investment in ICT research
achieving an inclusive European information society.
Specific sections include statistics at individual level, in particular broadband and connectivity, ICT usage in households and by individuals and e-public services. Data given in these domains are collected annually by the National Statistical Institutes and are based on Eurostat's annual model questionnaires on ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) usage in households and by individuals. A large part of the data collected is used in the context of the Digital Agenda Scoreboard, Europe's strategy for a flourishing digital economy by 2020. The characteristics to be provided are drawn from the following list of subjects:
access to and use of ICTs by individuals and/or in households
use of the Internet and other electronic networks for different purposes by individuals and/or in households
ICT security and trust
ICT competence and skills
barriers to the use of ICT and the Internet
perceived effects of ICT usage on individuals and/or on households
use of ICT by individuals to exchange information and services with governments and public administrations (e-government)
access to and use of technologies enabling connection to the Internet or other networks from anywhere at any time (ubiquitous connectivity).
Relevant breakdowns relating to individuals are present, in particular sex and age.
This provides the main aggregated statistics on labour market outcomes in the European Union. The EU-LFS is the main data source for employment and unemployment. Tables on population, employment, working hours, permanency of job, professional status etc. are included. It provides disaggregated statistics by sex, age groups, economic activity, education attainment and field of education, from which it is possible to measure the characteristics of the labour force of women, by age. Number of women and men in the labour force by economic activities related to ICTs (telecommunications, computer programming, consultancy and related activities, information service activities) are available.
This database produces and publishes data, indicators and analysis on the operation, evolution and impact of education from early childhood through formal education to learning and training throughout life. Data and indicators disseminated include participation rates at different levels of education, enrolments in public and private institutions, third-level education graduates, pupil-teacher ratios, foreign language learning, expenditure on education per student and relative GDP. Data are disaggregated by sex, age, educational level and field of education. The data collection on education statistics is based on the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED). For data on educational attainment based on the EU Labour Force Survey (EU-LFS) the International Standard Classification of Education 2011 (ISCED 2011) is applied as from 2014. Number of women and men by education attainment and field of related to ICTs (e.g. science, mathematics and computing, computing, computer science, computer use, engineering and engineering trades) are available.
This website aims to bring together both gender statistics and policies. Focus is on the production, dissemination and use of gender-related data. In addition to statistics, the website outlines some of the main gender issues relevant to the UNECE region, and provides examples of policies and other initiatives. It also contains thematic pages on topics consisting of important methodologies and examples of survey instruments. The UNECE Gender Statistics Database helps to monitor the situation of women and men in all UNECE member countries. The section Science and ICT includes data on use of computer and Internet by sex.
The Global Gender Statistics Programme is mandated by the United Nations Statistical Commission, implemented by the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) and coordinated by the Inter-Agency and Expert Group on Gender Statistics IAEG-GS. The dataset also includes data on ICT disaggregated by sex (Proportion of individuals using the Internet, proportion of individuals using mobile/cellular telephones, by sex, proportion of households with access to mass media (radio, TV, Internet), by sex of head of household).
ITU gathers data on ICT in the world, including on gender and ICT, and in particular the access to and use of the Internet by country.
The Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) is a household study developed by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in 24 countries and sub-national regions. The goal of PIAAC is to assess and compare the basic skills and the broad range of competencies of adults. The assessment focuses on cognitive and workplace skills. Specifically, PIAAC measures relationships between individuals’ educational background, workplace experiences and skills, occupational attainment, use of information and communications technology (ICT) and cognitive skills in the areas of literacy, numeracy and problem solving. Data disaggregated by sex are available. Microdata of PIAAC 2012 are publicly available at the OCED website.
Examples of studies, research and reports
She Figures 2015 is the fifth publication of a key set of indicators that are essential to understand the situation of women in science and research and includes data on the proportion of females in ICT. The She Figures data collection has been undertaken every three years since 2003 by the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation of the European Commission, in cooperation with the Helsinki Group and its sub-group of statistical correspondents.
The general key data on education report, published jointly with Eurostat, is a unique publication and a flagship product for the Eurydice Network as it combines statistical data and qualitative information to describe the organisation and functioning of education systems in Europe. It also includes data on ICT in education around Europe.
The specific objective of this study is to investigate statistical evidence relating to the participation of women in ICT. A set of gender indicators for measuring progress in this area is proposed.
Introduction to the PISA tests to compare countries’ achievements in education, provides a ‘gender brief’ on boys and girls in mathematics.
The OECD Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) was designed to provide insights into the availability of some of these key skills in society and how they are used at work and at home. It directly measures proficiency in several information-processing skills – namely literacy, numeracy and problem solving in technology-rich environments. This report presents the findings of the 2013 survey. It also includes data on digital skills of adult women in OECD countries.
Did you know that EIGE has a Resource and Documentation Centre?Check whether there is relevant information to feed into your analysis.
One of the first steps to take when defining your policy/project/programme is to gather information and analyse the situation of women and men in the respective policy domain. The information and data you collected will allow an understanding of the reality and assisting you in designing your policy, programme or project. Specific methods that can be used in this phase are gender analysis and gender impact assessment.
Examples of gender analysis
Despite the evidence which proves that women’s access to an ICT career is essential for the sector’s long-term growth and the sustainability of the European economy, there remains a large gender gap in Europe’s ICT sector. This study uses desk research, statistical analysis and economic cases as well as stakeholder interviews and surveys to analyse the problem and come up with key priorities for action.
The objective of this study on best practices of even gender distribution in Europe 25 is to foster the participation of women in the ICT domain and to provide relevant input for further European policy developments and their implementation in the area. This has been done by identifying, selecting and analysing different best practice cases in major public and private European ICT organisations.
This report provides an overview of the gender distribution of ICT and ICT-related employment in OECD countries, and ICT employment patterns are contrasted with overall employment to highlight how different ICT employment patterns are. The document then focuses on participation in ICT-related education and training, and differences in ICT access and use by gender.
This report surveys the global trends in women’s professional development and employment in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector, and offers a sample of the range of national policies, training programmes and initiatives targeting girls and women as potential students and professionals.
This literature review of women in ICT attempts to understand the constraints that underpin stagnant participation rates in the industry.
This study focuses on the policies of three major Internet intermediaries, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, with respect to violence against women online. The study aims to map the corporate policies of these intermediaries that allow identification, reporting and rectification of incidents of harassment or violence against women via the service that the intermediary provides. In addition to providing a detailed summary of the user policies relevant to this issue, the study also compares the impact and effectiveness of those policies against the framework of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. It is designed to provide advocates and activists with detailed information about policies related to violence against women in order that they may utilise, and criticise, such mechanisms and engage with Internet intermediaries to improve avenues for redress against technology-related violence.
APC has developed a brief and a background document on technology-related violence against women to support advocacy efforts at the 29th session of the Human Rights Council (HRC). There is special attention paid to the work with the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, the working group on discrimination against women in law and the annual HRC Resolution on VAW, which focuses on domestic violence in this edition.
The review presents different perspectives on the interrelatedness and interconnectedness between ICT and VAW. It covers the existing laws, prevailing policy frameworks and mechanisms in cases of technology-related VAW, and identifies gaps and emerging issues in particular from seven countries, namely Bosnia and Herzegovina, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Mexico, Pakistan and the Philippines.
For a more detailed description of how gender can be mainstreamed in this phase of the policy cycle, click here.
Plan
In this phase, it is relevant to analyse budgets from a gender perspective. Gender budgeting is used to identify how budget allocations contribute to promoting gender equality. Gender budgeting gives visibility to how much public money is spent for women and men respectively. Thus, gender budgeting ensures that public funds are fairly distributed between women and men. It also contributes to accountability and transparency about how public funds are being spent.
Example of gender budgeting in the Digital Agenda
UNIFEM (2009) Gender responsive budgeting, describes the gender budgeting methodology and provides recommendations for its use. Even though the report does not specifically target the ICT sector, it could be used to undertaken a gender budgeting analysis in this field.
Examples of indicators for monitoring gender and ICT
Gender differences in internet access are limited across the EU and have narrowed over time. In most countries, women and men report similar levels of regular use. This convergence is most evident among younger and middle-aged groups, where access is widespread. More pronounced disparities appear primarily at older age groups, where women are less likely to use the internet.
Across Member States, internet banking is widely used and differences between women and men are generally small. In most Member States, men report slightly higher levels of use, although the gap remains limited. There are also several Member States where women report similar or higher levels of use than men. Variation between Member States appears to reflect differences in the development of digital services and levels of digital inclusion rather than differences between women and men. Overall, usage patterns show signs of convergence over time.
Across Member States, men report slightly higher rates of digital skills than women, with only a few cases showing near parity or a small reversal.
In all EU Member States, men account for nearly three-fourth of all employed ICT specialists leaving women substantially under-represented. At EU level, there is some evidence of the gender segregation in ICT occupations reducing slightly since 2010, but progress is slow.
When preparing calls for proposals in the framework of funding programmes, or terms of reference in the context of public procurement procedures (notably for contractors to be hired for policy support services), don’t forget to formalise gender-related requirements. This will ensure that the projects and services which the European Commission will fund are not gender-blind or gender-biased.
For a more detailed description of how gender can be mainstreamed in this phase of the policy cycle, click here.
Act
In the implementation phase of a policy or programme, ensure that all who are involved are sufficiently aware about the relevant gender objectives and plans. If this is not the case, set up briefings and capacity-building initiatives according to staff needs. Think about researchers, proposal evaluators, monitoring and evaluation experts, scientific officers, programme committee members, etc.
Examples of capacity-building initiatives in the Digital Agenda
The UN (2009) Gender statistics manual was prepared following the recommendation of IAEG-GS in 2009 and the request made by the United Nations Statistical Commission at its 42nd session in 2011. The manual aims to foster a gender perspective in national statistics. It provides information needed to accomplish three main goals: (a) to achieve a comprehensive coverage of gender issues in data production activities; (b) to incorporate a gender perspective into the design of surveys or censuses, by taking into account gender issues and avoiding gender biases in measurement; and (c) to improve data analysis and data presentation and to deliver gender statistics in a format that is easy to use by policymakers and planners. The manual includes a specific section dedicated to education in ICT for women.
In 2010 the United Nations, Economic Commission for Europe, and World Bank Institute published the manual Developing gender statistics: a practical tool, which aims to guide statistical organisations. The manual explains the importance of producing and analysing statistics on gender differences. It provides guidance on data production, looks in detail at selected topics relevant to gender statistics and the implications for data collection. It also examines methods for improving the use of gender statistics through communication strategies and dissemination platforms such as interactive databases and websites. Furthermore, it provides guidance on ‘making it happen’ through campaigning for top management support, creating legislation and defining a gender statistics programme. The manual includes a specific section on ICT.
The purpose of the Engendering ICT toolkit: Challenges and opportunities for gender-equitable development, designed by the World Bank, is to identify opportunities, highlight innovative projects and activities, and suggest how the World Bank and other agencies can help realise the potential for gender equality. The toolkit is divided into 10 sections and it contains checklists, evaluation tools, examples of good practice, and resources that can be used to incorporate gender into ICT projects and project components.
This publication frames the challenges and opportunities we face in achieving gender equality in an era of rapid technological change. It closely examines critical gender issues with respect to new information and communication technologies (ICTs) including broadband. Most important, it shows ways in which we can further advance the sustainable development agenda by promoting the use of new technologies in support of gender equality and women’s empowerment.
This is a toolkit that provides insights on the gender dimension of ICT and makes recommendations for future policy actions in this area.
The 2001 Gender mainstreaming in science and technology: A reference manual for governments and other stakeholders, provides recommendations on how to mainstream gender at multiple governmental levels and provides guidelines and information on how to develop an action plan.
Example of gender language in the Digital Agenda
The Gendered Innovations website presents a case study for bringing a gender perspective into video gaming.
For a more detailed description of how gender can be mainstreamed in this phase of the policy cycle, click here.
Check
A policy cycle or programme should be checked both during (monitoring) and at the end (evaluation) of its implementation.
Monitoring the ongoing work allows for a follow-up of progress and remedying possibly unforeseen difficulties. This exercise should take into account the indicators delineated in the planning phase and data collection based on those indicators.
At the end of a policy cycle or programme, a gender-sensitive evaluation should take place. Make your evaluation is publicly accessible and strategically disseminate its results to promote its learning potential.
Example of monitoring and evaluation of gender in the Digital Agenda
The GEM Practitioners Network is a network of individuals and organisations that apply gender evaluation methodology for Internet and ICT (GEM) and want to learn more about gender and ICT evaluations. The network aims to enhance GEM expertise and build partnerships in order to incorporate a gender perspective in evaluation of ICT initiatives. It also promotes gender accountability in global, regional, national and local ICT policies and initiatives.