Production of Gender Statistics in Pakistan

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Production of Gender Statistics in Pakistan

• Muhammad Saeed
• Census Commissioner
• Population Census Organization
• Statistics Division

2
History of Data Collection

• The history of collection and availability of
  population data by gender in Pakistan dates back
  to 1881 when the first regular decennial
  population censuses was conducted in the South
  Asian sub-continent.
• There after regular decennial population
  censuses were carried out in the year ending
  at one. After inception of Pakistan five
  population censuses have been conducted till
  1998.
• The demand and use of gender disaggregated data
  emerged when its needs was realized for
  systematic demographic, health, social and
  economic assessments.
• More specifically the need for statistics by
  gender classification has emerged with the global
  interest on the situation of women to improve
  their status and their economic, social and
  political contributions.

3
Requirements for Gender Statistics

• All statistics on individuals should be
  collected, collated and presented disaggregated
  by sex.
• All variables and characteristics should be
  presented with sex as a primary and overall
  classification.
• Specific efforts should be made to identify
  gender issues and provide data that address these
  issues.
• Formulation of concepts and definitions used in
  data collection that adequately reflect the
  diversity of women and men and capture all
  aspects of their lives.
• Development of data collection methods that take
  into account stereotypes and social and cultural
  factors that might produce gender biases .

4
Concept of Gender Statistics

• Most of the data that appear in publications on
  gender statistics are obtained by conventional
  data collection methods which, by and large,
  remain gender blind.
• Concept of engendering national statistical
  systems changes from conventional approach to
  gender statistics in two ways
• It is realized that merely disaggregating data by
  sex is insufficient and requires thorough review
  of the data collection framework and process from
  gender perspective.
• A systematic and comprehensive approach should be
  used to identify gender issues and provide data
  that genuinely addresses womens needs.
  Priorities must focus on economic statistics.

5
Need for Gender Statistics

• The need for gender statistics has been realized
  to facilitate producing, processing and
  disseminating gender statistics for formulation
  and monitoring of social sector projects with a
  focus on Women in Development (WID).
• In this regards the government has taken the
  following initiatives
• Social Action Programme was introduced in 1993
  aimed at accelerating the pace of social
  development with a focus on women issues (primary
  education, health, water supply and sanitation)
• Ninth five year plan (1993-1998) focused on
  poverty reduction and gender equality.
• Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) prepared
  under Ministry of Finance to initiate development
  programmes.
• Implementation of the National Plan of Action
  (NPA) by Ministry of Women Development.

6
Sources of Gender Statistics

• (A) Regular Censuses/Surveys 
• Population Censuses conducted in 1951, 1961,
  1972, 1981 and 1998 (PCO).
• Pakistan Demographic Survey (1980-2005) conducted
  annually by FBS.
• Labour Force Survey (1963-2006) Annual (FBS).
• Pakistan Social Living Standards Measurement
  Survey (2001-2005) Annual (FBS).

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(B) Adhoc Survey / Other Sources

• Demographic Health Survey/Reproductive Health
  Family Planning Survey NIPS
• National Education Management Information System
  (Ministry of Education)
• Health Management information System (Ministry of
  Health)
• Population Welfare Management information System
  (Ministry of Population Welfare).
• Other Organizations like Pakistan Institute of
  Development Economic, Population Council, and
  Provincial Bureaus of Statistics, Pakistan
  Medical Research Council, also conduct case
  studies/surveys from time to time etc.

8
Population Census

• Population Census is an important and most
  significant statistical activity undertaken in
  the country (stock taking of human resources).
• Through the census huge amount of data on all
  basic variables is collected for each person at
  one quantum time.
• Data collected through the census serves as bench
  mark for all type of socio-economic development
  planning and their evaluation.
• Data collected through census are disaggregated
  by gender/sex cross-classified by all important
  variables like population size, its urban/rural
  distribution, age groups, marital status,
  education, employment/unemployment, migration,
  disability, homeless population by different
  admin. Units.

9
Pakistan Demographic Survey (PDS)

• It is a national level sample survey conducted on
  annual basis by the FBS. The main objectives of
  the survey are
• To collect statistics of births and deaths in
  order to arrive at various measures of fertility
  and mortality for Pakistan and its urban and
  rural areas.
• To estimate current rate of natural increase of
  population for
• To collect information on other selected
  characteristics of population.
• Above 36 thousand households are covered in the
  survey.

10
Labour Force Survey (LFS)

• The Federal Bureau of Statistics has been
  conducting Labour Force Survey (LFS) since 1963
  on annual basis. The last survey was held in
  2005-06.
• A Penal on Labour Statistics comprising of all
  stakeholders reviews and approves the LFS
  questionnaire/methodology in keeping with
  international standards.
• The survey aims to provide data on
• (i) age, sex, marital status, literacy, level of
  education and migration of the population,
• (ii) dimensions of countrys labour force such as
  employed labour force classified by occupation
  industry, formal informal sectors, employment
  status, hours worked, safety and health
  information of the employed persons and
  characteristics of the unemployed labour force
  i.e. age, sex level of education and pervious
  experience.
• All these statistics are published by age and sex.

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Pakistan Social and Living Standards Measurement
Survey (PSLM)

• The survey is designed to provide social and
  economic (household income expenditure)
  indicators in the alternate years at district and
  provincial levels for evaluation of development
  programs initiated under Poverty Reduction
  strategy Paper (PRSP).
• Information is collected from household on a
  range of social sectors covered under (PRSP) i.e.
  Education, Health, Household Assets/Amenities,
  Immunization, Pre/Post Natal care of females,
  household satisfaction by facilities services
  and household income expenditure.
• The information is presented disaggregated by
  province, by region, (urban-rural) and by gender.

12
Present Status of Gender Disaggregated Data Base

• The FBS in collaboration with ESCAP Asian
  Development Bank developed gender disaggregated
  database. Based on this database the following
  publications were published.
• Men women (Booklet) 1995
• Compendium on gender statistics 1999 and 2004
• The Topics/Indicators Covered in Compendium
• Population size and trends
• Demographic indicators (fertility mortality)
• Household and family structure
• Health profile
• Family planning
• Education
• Labour employment
• Women role in public life
• Besides Population Census Organization (PCO) is
  also planning to develop a gender disaggregated
  database being a focal agency for SAARC gender.

13
Data Gaps

• The data from sample surveys are available at the
  national level or at the provincial level. There
  is a need to extend the scope and coverage of the
  existing surveys conducted by FBS/NIPS to provide
  information at the district level.
• Some more information/indicators on population,
  employment, education, health, family and
  households need to be included in the existing
  surveys.
• Besides, some new surveys need to be conducted on
  violence against women, economic role of women,
  property house ownership, prevalence of HIV/AIDS,
  etc.

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What the Gender Indicators do?

• Gender-sensitive indicators make gender biases
  more visible and help measure gender-related
  changes in society over time. They can therefore
  make an important contribution to policy.
• When data is disaggregated by sex, it can provide
  a more accurate picture of womens economic
  contributions to society, and make visible their
  unpaid labour in the family and in the informal
  sector.
• In many places, the very concept of work does not
  include undocumented work of women, such as
  small-scale farming, work in the informal sector,
  and water and firewood collection.
• Thus, economic activity need to be defined to
  cover unreported and invisible work of women.

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Women Count - But Are Not Counted

• Much of the work that women do is 'invisible' in
  national censuses, despite its productive and
  social worth. One reason for this undercounting
  is that womens activities are concentrated in
  small-scale agriculture, the informal sector and
  the home areas for which data are deficient.
• In addition, womens work is often unpaid
  including that devoted to carrying water,
  collecting fuel, processing and cooking food,
  etc.
• The low value attached to womens work requires a
  fundamental remedy an accurate accounting of its
  contribution to development and overall social
  welfare. This requires much better
  gender-specific data, particularly for the
  informal and agricultural sectors

16
Engendering Census-2008

• The next Population Census to be held in 2008.
  The following steps have been taken to collect
  reliable statistics by gender in the Census.
• Gender Cells have been established at PCO Hqs. as
  well as provincial offices to sensitize the
  census functionaries and handling gender issues.
• Expert Group on engendering census has been
  formed to identify data gaps in the previous
  censuses and suggest improvement in census
  questionnaires and instruction manuals
• The services of a resource person will be hired
  during the training of Master Trainers and
  Trainers to highlight the importance of gender
  equity.
• Efforts will be made to recruit females as
  enumerators to the largest possible extent.
• A two days workshop on engendering census was
  held on 17-18th April 2007. One day sensitization
  workshops being at Provincial Capitals include
  one session on gender equity.

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Appointment of Female Staff

• The enumerator is the key person in the census
  the quality of data largely depends on the
  enumerators. To obtain quality data from the
  census, training of the field enumerators must be
  strong.
• Enumerators and supervisors should be trained
  through vigorous gender sensitization so that
  awareness of gender concept and biases are very
  clear and precise.
• The training should focus on changing the biased
  preconception of the enumerators and supervisors.
  

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Thanks !!!