Subregional Training on Gender Statistics for Monitoring the SustainableDevelopment Goals (SDGs)
29 May – 2 June 2023
Seoul, Republic of Korea

Concept NoteI. Background and rationale
Within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), gender equality is
not only a standalone goal but also one of the crosscutting universal values that underpins
the SDGs, and a necessary precondition for achieving the goals of the 2030 development
agenda. Good quality, timely, comparable, and disaggregated gender data provide theevidence needed to measure progress towards achieving the gender-related SDG goalsand targets. The 2022 Sustainable Development Goals Progress Report produced by theUnited Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP)
shows that while there has been notable improvements in overall data availability in Asiaand the Pacific since the first benchmark report in 2017, there are still significant datagaps. Notably, at the subregional level, the report highlights a lack of sufficient data forGoal 5 (Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls) and thus presents an
incomplete picture of anticipated progress towards this goal for the Pacific. Strengthening
capacities to produce and use gender statistics is central to closing the gender data gap.
To support Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICs) to produce gender data andstatistics for SDG monitoring and decision-making, several initiatives and mechanisms
have been launched at the regional, subregional, and national levels. Among those are:(i) the Gender Statistics Training Curriculum, developed in 2020 through a joint initiativeby United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UNWomen) and the United Nations Statistical Institute for Asia and the Pacific (SIAP); (ii) thePacific Roadmap on Gender Statistics, which serves as the overarching framework to1 | Pagesupport Pacific National Statistical Systems to generate quality, relevant and timely
gender data that meets users’ needs to advance gender equality; (iii) the Pacific GenderStatistics Coordination Group which serves as governance mechanism for Pacific
Roadmap on Gender Statistics; and (iv) targeted national trainings in Kiribati, Solomon
Islands and Tonga.
To complement those initiatives and further strengthen the capacity of PICs, an in-person
subregional training is being proposed for 29 May to 2 June 2023, in Seoul, Republic ofKorea. This subregional training will be based on the Gender Statistics Training Curriculum
which was developed to support national statistical offices in the region to acquirenecessary statistical capacities to effectively produce and use gender statistics for trackingof progress on the SDGs.
This training is jointly organized, funded and implemented by the Pacific Community(SPC), UNSIAP, the UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific and hosted by UN
Women Centre of Excellence for Gender Equality.
II. Learning objectivesParticipants will:
1. Understand what gender data is and how to use it for SDG monitoring
2. Avoid common mistakes when using and analyzing gender data and learning
about quality gender data sources
3. Calculate gender statistics for SDG monitoring
4. Understand how to collect and compile gender data
5. Analyse microdata with a gender angle, including generating estimates withmultiple disaggregation
6. Communicate gender data
7. Engage in data user-producer dialogues to promote better gender dataavailability and use
8. Understand how gender data is used for policy making
III.

Expected outcomes
1. Increased knowledge, coordination and cooperation between gender data users
and producers
2. Enhanced technical capacity to produce gender statistics
2 | Page3. Increased technical capacity (knowledge) to analyse gender statistics in relation toplans, policies and SDGs
4. Improved technical capacity to communicate gender statistics for evidence-based
decision-making
5. Enhanced knowledge of sources of gender statistics (regional and global
databases)
IV. Training design and contents
The training will consist of a mix of theory and discussion sessions and hands-on andpractical exercises covering the modules in the curriculum. The training will allow
participants time to interact with the training materials and facilitators and with theirpeers from other countries, as well as opportunities for sharing good practices.
Although some of the modules are at introductory level, other modules cover moreadvanced statistical analysis, that would be applicable for participants who are engaged
in data production or more experienced data analysts. R will be the software used foranalysis during the training. Thus, participants (data producers) are requested to bring
their own computers to perform such analysis, with the R and R-Studio software package
installed in advance and a recent household survey dataset to use for the R sessions.
The training is expected to cover the following modules from the Gender Statistics
Training Curriculum:● What is gender data and how to use it for SDG monitoring?
● Gender data literacy and avoiding mistakes● Calculating gender statistics for SDG monitoring● Finding the right gender data and conducting basic analysis● User-producer dialogue● Methods for gender data collection and estimation● Analyzing microdata with a gender angle● Multi-level disaggregation analysis to monitor the SDG from a “Leave No OneBehind” perspective● Finding the right gender data and conducting basic analysis● Communicating gender data
● Utilizing data for policy making
A draft agenda will be circulated to confirmed participants.
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V. Participants
The subregional training is targeted at PICs that were engaged in the past in developing
the Roadmap for Gender Statistics in the Pacific, namely: Federated States of Micronesia,Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu
and Vanuatu.
Each country will be invited to nominate TWO participants, including:- One data producer from the national statistical office who has responsibility forgender statistics.
- One data user, such as a gender focal point or representative from line ministry
and civil society organization using or providing gender-related information forpolicy setting or advocacy.
VI. Language
The working language for this training is English.
VII. Training requirements
Participants are expected to be familiar with:1.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
2.
SDG Voluntary National Review
3.
National gender data and statistics and gender policies
Participants are required to bring their own laptop for the workshop to complete thepractical exercises.
One component of this training will require the use of the R software. Participants fromthe NSO (gender statistics focal points) are required to: (i) have R and R Studio software
installed on their laptops for those sessions; (ii) bring their latest census dataset (unitrecord) for the workshop to use in producing statistical cross-tabulations for the practical
exercises. Pre-training in R will be provided to ensure participants are well oriented forthe training. More details will be circulated to confirmed participants.
VIII.

Resources● Gender Statistics Training Curriculum● Roadmap for Gender Statistics in the Pacific
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