In
her article, “Bridging
the Gender Gap”, Melinda Gates highlights the importance
of a recent
report released by the U.N. on its Post-2015
Development Agenda, which calls for interventions that ensure women and girls
benefit equally from investments in social and economic development. The report,
compiled by the High-level
Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda,
recommends that the post-2015 agenda include a gender equity goal that targets
gender-based violence and child marriage, and promotes property rights for
women.
Although this goal is imperative, as Gates goes on to explain, the “real breakthrough” is the panel’s recommendation that data on every single goal and target be broken out by gender. Disaggregating data collected for each post-2015 goal will inform the international community about whether the progress being made applies to women and men equally. As Gates describes, “This has not always been the case, and our inability to disaggregate this data leads to solutions biased toward men.”
In the article, Gates provides examples that illuminate why women and girls are critical to achieving international development objectives, as well as strong evidence that explains how collecting sex disaggregated data will help strengthen the impact of development initiatives. Gates argues that the “mere fact that women and girls can drive development isn’t enough.” Instead, "what we need is a system designed to put them in the driver’s seat. And one linchpin of that system is data we can use to monitor, evaluate and constantly improve development programs.”
Mercy Corps recognizes the need for evidence-based approaches to programs, and recently developed beneficiary counting guidelines that include sex and age disaggregated data. This week, I'm finishing a summer-long project to compile and develop gender indicators that will help the agency better measure the outputs, outcomes, and impact of gender integration at the program and sector-levels. It's clear that Mercy Corps is well on its way toward its own "data revolution" and Gates' article helped remind me just how important this can be.
Although this goal is imperative, as Gates goes on to explain, the “real breakthrough” is the panel’s recommendation that data on every single goal and target be broken out by gender. Disaggregating data collected for each post-2015 goal will inform the international community about whether the progress being made applies to women and men equally. As Gates describes, “This has not always been the case, and our inability to disaggregate this data leads to solutions biased toward men.”
In the article, Gates provides examples that illuminate why women and girls are critical to achieving international development objectives, as well as strong evidence that explains how collecting sex disaggregated data will help strengthen the impact of development initiatives. Gates argues that the “mere fact that women and girls can drive development isn’t enough.” Instead, "what we need is a system designed to put them in the driver’s seat. And one linchpin of that system is data we can use to monitor, evaluate and constantly improve development programs.”
Mercy Corps recognizes the need for evidence-based approaches to programs, and recently developed beneficiary counting guidelines that include sex and age disaggregated data. This week, I'm finishing a summer-long project to compile and develop gender indicators that will help the agency better measure the outputs, outcomes, and impact of gender integration at the program and sector-levels. It's clear that Mercy Corps is well on its way toward its own "data revolution" and Gates' article helped remind me just how important this can be.
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