Are there any best practices that you would like to share regarding gender-sensitive data collection, analysis and reporting at the organizational level?
Public question
A gender-sensitive approach to data collection, analysis and reporting refers to who collects the data, how are the participants engaged (particularly women and girls and marginalized men and boys), where and how the data are collected. Gender-sensitive data collection is particularly important for international development planning, formulation and implementation of transformative policies at the organizational, national, regional and global levels.
Participatory Data Collection:
This approach actively involves participants, including women, marginalized groups, and other stakeholders, in designing, implementing, and evaluating the data collection process. Empowering participants to co-create tools and methods ensures that the data collection process is culturally sensitive, inclusive, and aligned with the community's needs. It fosters trust and authenticity, leading to more reliable and nuanced responses. Additionally, engaging participants helps reduce unconscious bias and creates a sense of ownership among the stakeholders, making the findings more actionable and sustainable. Collaborative tool design, participatory analysis, and stakeholder validation not only improve the relevance and accuracy of the data but also ensure that the process is ethical and equitable. By building local capacity through training, this approach empowers communities. It ensures the continuity of gender-sensitive data practices beyond the scope of the initial project, making it a transformative method for fostering inclusivity and equity in organizational and developmental initiatives.
Participatory Data Collection:
This approach actively involves participants, including women, marginalized groups, and other stakeholders, in designing, implementing, and evaluating the data collection process. Empowering participants to co-create tools and methods ensures that the data collection process is culturally sensitive, inclusive, and aligned with the community's needs. It fosters trust and authenticity, leading to more reliable and nuanced responses. Additionally, engaging participants helps reduce unconscious bias and creates a sense of ownership among the stakeholders, making the findings more actionable and sustainable. Collaborative tool design, participatory analysis, and stakeholder validation not only improve the relevance and accuracy of the data but also ensure that the process is ethical and equitable. By building local capacity through training, this approach empowers communities. It ensures the continuity of gender-sensitive data practices beyond the scope of the initial project, making it a transformative method for fostering inclusivity and equity in organizational and developmental initiatives.
You will find very good guidance from the Province of British Columbia, Canada, Ministry of Health by following the link below. I assisted in developing these guidelines.
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/practitioner-professional-reso...
I would recommend checking out the syllabus on Methods for gender data collection and estimation . It is useful for anyone interested in learning how to avoid and overcome gender bias in statistical processes and how to integrate a gender-sensitive perspective into the collection and estimation of gender data.
The United Nations Women Count Data Hub website, provides other useful resources on the same topic here
Another useful resource is the Introduction to Gender Analysis and Gender-sensitive Indicators, developed by the International Training Centre of the ILO - International Labour Organisation.
Finally, the website of the European Institute for Gender Equality has several useful resources on how to collect gender equality data, which can be accessed here.
Hallo Tina, thank you for asking an important question .The experts here, have given good insights , which i will also borrow ,wow, thank you all. My input on this is stressing the importance of training any research assistants that will be in any gender study/ research. They need to know how to start the conversation and also how to proceed with interviews. Secondly the ethical issues should be addressed early on. Thirdly is on the Environment during interviews or focus group discussions. It should be conducive and the respondents should be comfortable.
In Africa there are cultural issues that should be considered. In some communities , women or girls are not allowed to speak to the men and vise versa. In this case those collecting data should be of the same gender. Sometimes you would need a background into the traditions of the community before coming up with research tools
My contribution to this discourse borders mainly on the downside of data-sensitive data collection. While it aims to create more inclusive and equitable policies, certain issues can arise in its design, implementation, and interpretation. First of all we need to consider Data Privacy and Security Concerns. Collecting gender-sensitive data often involves gathering personal and sensitive information, such as gender identity, experiences of discrimination, or instances of gender-based violence. Without robust privacy protections, there is a risk of exposing individuals to stigma, discrimination, or harm, especially in regions where gender norms are rigid or where certain identities are criminalized.
Secondly we also have to bear in mind Overgeneralization and Stereotyping. Poorly designed gender-sensitive data collection methods may inadvertently reinforce stereotypes. For instance, focusing excessively on binary gender categories without acknowledging the spectrum of gender identities can marginalize non-binary and gender-diverse individuals. Similarly, overly simplistic data analysis may perpetuate assumptions about the roles or behaviors of men and women.
Thirdly the Resource and Capacity Limitations must be considered. Implementing gender-sensitive data collection requires additional resources, training, and expertise, which may strain budgets or capacity, particularly in low-income settings. These constraints can result in incomplete or low-quality data that undermines the very goals of inclusivity and equity.
Fourthly, Potential Political Resistance is a key element to hold in mind. In certain contexts, gender-sensitive data collection may face political or cultural resistance, especially when it challenges deeply rooted patriarchal structures or seeks to address controversial issues like LGBTQ+ rights. Such resistance can hinder data collection efforts or skew results due to non-cooperation.
Finally, the Risk of Misuse must be considered. Data collected for gender-sensitive purposes can be misinterpreted or weaponized, either by reinforcing harmful policies or by being used to justify actions that go against gender equity. For example, misrepresented data could be cited to downplay the severity of gender inequality or to argue against the allocation of resources to marginalized groups. While gender-sensitive data collection is a vital tool for promoting equality, it must be approached with care to avoid these pitfalls. Ensuring ethical practices, cultural sensitivity, robust privacy protections, and nuanced analysis are essential for minimizing downsides and maximizing the positive impact of such efforts.
My contribution will be to highlight some of the issues you need to consider and my selected experiences dealing with them as an independent evaluation consultant:
1. Data on vulnerable people (children, youth, Key population at risk, marginalised groups) on subject matters as SRHR inclusive of HIV/GBV for example is always difficult to find and to collect especially in Africa, because of some of the following to mention a few:
(a) the data collection methodologies often are too technical to allow for their effective participation.
(b) in the case of Key population (LGBTQI, sex workers, prisoners for example), legislation that criminalises them and stigmatisation often make it difficult for them to come out and participate effectively in data collection processes including on issues that affect them
(c) in the case of independent evaluations for example, low budgets, the cost of data collection in the background of a need to safeguard ethical considerations often limit the extent to which the scope of data collection can be tailored to reach out to the grassroots, people in communities and in particular children
(d) Key informants for evaluations of development initiatives especially at community level and among some government officials for example, may often ask for incentives to participate in data collection processes leading to difficulties in reaching out to the best targeted respondents and also to response biases.
(e) data collection systems are generally weak in government /organisations and at community levels and investment in M&E for example is often low
(f) Low motivation to participate among over researched communities - and often coupled with biases of communities when they perceive /associate community level data collection with potential targeting of future development /service delivery efforts
In conducting independent evaluations for example, i have considered some of the following approaches:
(a) Identifying, including, training and closely supervising competent local community experts to support data collection (mindful of potential conflict of interest and bias). This could especially include representatives of the vulnerable groups who will have easy access to their membership and to mobilise and encourage their participation
(b) Co-creating data collection protocols and tools with stakeholders - including ensuring their relevance and ease of understanding and use among different categories of respondents
(c) Working with clients /stakeholders for ease of reaching out to relevant respondents
(d) Innovating on using virtual Focus Group Discussions and Group Interviews especially facilitated with the support of local stakeholders /partners /clients
(e) Training data collection teams is critical
(f) Use of snowballing techniques to especially reach out to the most vulnerable such as persons with disability and survivors of GBV /or other forms of violence who may shy away from data collection or may be hidden from the public by families /carers
(g) Data collection methodologies must allow for some flexibility and inclusiveness while maintaining validity, reliability and relevance
ETC
I will recommend to consult these, that could help to answer the question:
1. Gender-sensitive data collection and monitoring: the experience of CEU - Supera Project, https://www.superaproject.eu/gender-sensitive-data-collection-and-monito...
2. Collecting Data About LGBTQI+ and Other Sexual and Gender-Diverse Communities, https://www.americanprogress.org/article/collecting-data-about-lgbtqi-an...
3. Tip Sheet: - Gender Sensitive and Feminist Monitoring and Evaluation and Ethical Considerations - Women's Peace and Humanitarian Fund, https://wphfund.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Tip-Sheet-Gender-Sensitiv...
4. Towards Gender-Sensitive Data Systems - Data2X, https://data2x.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/BigDataBigImpact-Report-WR...
5. www.ctc-n.org, https://www.ctc-n.org/sites/default/files/resources/practical_tips_for_g...
6. Data collection and monitoring | European Institute for Gender Equality, https://eige.europa.eu/gender-mainstreaming/toolkits/gear/data-collectio...
7. module 5 - methods for gender data collection and estimation, https://data.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/documents/Asia-Pacific-Trai...
8. Resources | World Bank Gender Data Portal, https://genderdata.worldbank.org/en/resources
9. www.icimod.org, https://www.icimod.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Guidelines-for-Gender-...
10. Recommended Approaches to Data Analysis and Visualization on Gender and Climate, https://data.org/playbooks/gender-data-and-climate/c/recommended-approac...
11. Checklist for Gender-Sensitive Research | Equal4europe, https://equal4europe.eu/checklist-for-gender-sensitive-research/
12. eca.unwomen.org, https://eca.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Field%20Office%20ECA/Attachm...
13. Gender-sensitive reporting - FPU Knowledge & Quality, https://kq.freepressunlimited.org/themes/gender-equality/gender-in-media...
14. Guidelines for Gender Sensitive Reporting, http://www.ekvilib.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/en_GUIDELINES_FOR_GEND...
15. Understanding the Importance of Gender-Sensitive Monitoring and Evaluation: Enhancing Program Inclusivity - Sharp Development Solutions Consulting, https://www.sdsconsulting.org/understanding-the-importance-of-gender-sen...
16. Improving Gender Sensitive Data Collection and Use: Example of UN Women's Women Count global Programme, https://data.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/inline-files/APEC%20present...
17. Understanding and promoting the use of gender data and statistics - Paris21, https://www.paris21.org/project/understanding-and-promoting-use-gender-d...
18. How to Make Virtual Conferences Queer-Friendly: A Guide, https://www.queerinai.com/how-to-make-virtual-conferences-queer-friendly
19. Towards Real Diversity and Gender Equality in AI, https://gpai.ai/projects/responsible-ai/towardsrealdiversityandgenderequ...
It is important to be mindful of the impact of data collection, analyses and reporting on various demographics, in particular on vulnerable communities. In this regard, the Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus) framework is helpful to assess differential impacts of design, collection and reporting data findings in an organisational context. GBA plus is an an analytical framework, developed by the Government of Canada.
GBA Plus aims to assess how gender and other identity factors influence individuals' experiences with policies, programs, and initiatives. The ultimate aim is to create more inclusive and responsive public policies by considering people's different identities and intersecting factors. While GBA initially focused on gender issues, the "Plus" signifies the inclusion of other identity factors. Moving beyond the traditional, and somewhat narrow, gender analyses, GBA plus offers a broader perspective through a more comprehensive analysis of systemic inequalities and helps address issues related to age, race, education, income, immigrant status, cultural, linguistic and ethnic backgrounds, religious affiliations, sexual orientations, physical and psychological disabilities.
In a public policy context, GBA Plus process involves several steps:
For a comprehensive impact measurement of international development programs and policies on different demographics, on particular the vulnerable sections, GBA plus must be applied at various stages of policy development. Researcher (experimenter) bias, small and skewed sample sizes, non-representative populations, hypotheses derived exclusively on WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic) population studies when the study focus is on non-WEIRD samples, non-intersectional approaches limit the reliability of the findings. By utilizing disaggregated data and engaging with diverse communities, GBA Plus helps to foster equitable access to services and mitigate unintended negative impacts on marginalized groups. Instead of an add-on, an ongoing evaluation and integration of the GBA plus lens throughout the lifecycle of policies and programs are critical to ensure that they effectively address the needs of all community members.
Reference: Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus), Government of Canada https://www.canada.ca/en/women-gender-equality/gender-based-analysis-plu...