Strengthening Gender Statistics Gaps in Maldives National Bureau

Strengthening Gender Statistics Gaps in Maldives National Bureau of Statistics Ministry of National Planning and infrastructure

How the initiation began… Maldives NSDS 10 year plan was developed from 2010 – 2019 In January – with collaboration with PARIS 21 stakeholder meeting was conducted to identify challenges of the Maldives' statistical system. HOWEVER, to formulate the strategy for developing statistical capacity across the entire national statistical system, National Development Plan is required. Meantime, to facilitate NSDS process and it was the perfect time to introduce gender dimension in all stages, it was agreed to do an assessment of gender statistics gaps which soon initiated after the stakeholder meetings. Thus, first scoping mission to identify gender gap began in April 2019.

Objectives In cooperation with the NBS and the MGFSS, PARIS 21 conducted preliminary consultation meetings with key stakeholders on gender statistics in Maldives. The main objective was to verify the applicability of a draft framework and a questionnaire for the assessment of gender statistics gaps in the context of Maldives’ national statistical system. The mission was carried out from 8 th – 14 th April, 2019

National Stakeholder Workshop cont… A stakeholder workshop was carried out to discuss policy directions and priorities related to gender and gender statistics issues. Total participants: 52 NBS, MGFSS Society of Health Education Uthema Maldives Immigration, Ministry of Tourism Civil Service commission National Drug Agency Maldives Pension Administration Office Girl Guide Association Family Protection Authority Ministry of Fisheries, Marine Resources Department of Judicial Administration Local Government Authority Hope for women Ministry of Education Ministry of Higher Education NSPA, Mo. H, LRA Health Protection Agecy and Agriculture Ministry of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment Ministry of Economic Development

Other consultative meetings Consultation meetings with NBS and MFGSS to verify the applicability of questionnaire for identifying gender statistics gaps in the context of Maldives. Consultative meetings with other stakeholders to understand the gender statistics gap. MOE, MED, Mo. FA, Mo. T, LRA Meeting with Ministry of National Planning and Infrastructure to get an update on National Development Planning Process and how gender is integrated into NDP.

questionnaire - assessment of gender statistics gaps Based on the consultative meetings and with consultation with the focal point from NBS and MGFSS, the questionnaire was revised to the context of Maldives. Then, in order to understand the gender gap further, the questionnaire was sent to key 16 government stakeholders and 10 parliament members. The filled questionnaires were then sent to PARIS 21, for further assessments

Inter-agency group In line with Goal 3 of the National Gender Equality Policy in Maldives on Institutional Gender Mainstreaming, the MGFSS and the NBS agreed to create an Inter-agency Group on Gender Statistics To. R for Inter-agency group on Gender Statistics was formulated. However, it was later decided to create an inter-agency group among NBS and MGFSS ( and with agencies under MGFSS)

ADAPT Training The aim of ADAPT training was to identify the priority framework of gender-specific indicators for the country. gender-specific SDG the Minimum Set complemented by the national priorities This training was a pre-requisite for the development of the comprehensive assessment report on the current state of Gender statistics

ADAPT Training ADAPT training was conducted from 27 th - 29 th August 2019 In the training participants were trained: How to enter sector policy documents Create log frame Entering indicators How to map policy documents with the other sector document. Overall inputting of the information to the ADAPT Gender Module.

Lesson’s learnt While the scoping mission was ongoing, turnover of gender focal point from Ministry of Gender. Recruitment of a new focal point took sometime. Continuing of same focal point throughout the project is important. Weak statistical capacity within each ministry. No gender statistical unit in any line ministries Within NBS- no gender statistics unit. Social Statistics Division takes care of all gender statistics related activities. Production of gender statistics from administrative data still remains as a weakness due to lack of capacity, low priority given for statistics production, low political commitment. Political commitment from Gender Ministry. Implementation of project activities carried by both agencies.

What’s Next. . Training in October from UNSIAP/UN Women To train data producers, data user’s on the newly developed Gender Statistics module. Conduct a Validation workshop Dates yet to be finalised with Gender Ministry Completion of gender related indicators in ADAPT module - SDG Gender related indicators updated for the Maldives - Work on minimum set of gender related indicators ongoing o Continuing of project activities after the project concludes

Thank you