Step 10: Establishing a gender information management system
Rationale
When introducing gender mainstreaming, it is important to consider what information (e.g. statistics, research results, practical examples etc.) will be needed to ensure a well-founded implementation. A gender information management system helps to collect, process and distribute this information in an effective way.
- Collecting and supplying information
- Preparing information
- Distributing information
Key facts
What is important is the competent and continuous maintenance of the information management system. Guaranteeing the technical quality of content and ensuring regular updates may be a task that is assigned to the gender mainstreaming support structure.
When setting up a gender information management system, it is important to consider which materials are to be collected and how these can best be edited and systematically distributed in order to actively support staff members during the implementation of gender mainstreaming.
1. Collecting and supplying information
Useful informative literature to support the implementation of gender mainstreaming can include methodological tools (e.g. guidelines, working papers) and above all quantitative and qualitative facts and data that support this specialised work, e.g. gender-disaggregated data, research results on gender aspects in the respective fields of activity and experience obtained from pilot projects.
In doing so, subjects such as ethnicity, disability and other categories of social discrimination should also be taken into account.
Relevant materials should be perfectly suited, easy to find and readily available. It is also important that materials are provided in a clearly structured manner and that there are instructions informing staff of where which materials can be found.
Sources
EIGE’s website provides gender statistics and information about different policy areas. The European Commission’s website also presents a collection of research reports, facts and figures, policy documents and further material about the priority areas of the European gender equality strategy.
EIGE: Gender Statistics Link to the T&M Gender Statistics
EIGE: Sectoral Areas Link to Sectoral Areas European Commission: Gender Equality
2. Preparing information
- Selectively pick out the facts and information needed, to systematise and analyse these and to provide edited versions with added annotations.
- Make staff members aware of what quantitative and qualitative information they should factor in to their work in order to achieve the substantiated implementation of gender mainstreaming.
- A good information management system not only supplies available statistics, reports and other relevant materials, but also draws attention to existing gaps in information.
- The information management system should also include the targeted processing of previously missing data or facts which are not differentiated by gender as well as presenting information that reveals gender disparities.
It may be helpful to allocate financial resources especially for preparing the relevant gender statistics and commissioning research.
Gender equality indicators and gendered statistics
Gender equality indicators and the availability of data disaggregated by sex and further categories (e.g. age, ethnicity etc.) play an important role in implementing gender mainstreaming, for example, they are used to carry out gender analyses. Therefore the collection, preparation, interpretation and explanation of sex-disaggregated data and the development of gender indicators can play a key role within the scope of gender information management.
- Commonwealth Secretariat: Using gender- sensitive indicators. A reference manual for governments and other stakeholders
- Statistics Sweden: Engendering Statistics. A Tool for Change
- United Nations: Developing Gender Statistics: A Practical Tool
- EIGE: Concepts and definitions Link to be added when ready
Particularly during the initial introduction phase of gender mainstreaming, the preparation of carefully-tailored materials such as fact sheets can present a good opportunity to build awareness and direct attention towards key gender-related aspects in each of the respective fields of activity.
3. Distributing information
Actively distribute relevant materials amongst staff members - for example through newsletters or mailing lists.
Examples
German Association for International Cooperation (GIZ), has established a ‘Gender Knowledge Platform’ containing publications, videos, podcasts and sample projects among other things.
The Italian STAGES project (“Structural Transformation to Achieve Gender Equality in Science”) provides an intranet platform with information material and documents on a range of topics.