Developing indicators and Developing indicators and official statistics to official statistics to

monitor the new duty to monitor the new duty to promote gender equalitypromote gender equality

Sylvia WalbySylvia Walby

Lancaster UniversityLancaster University

Sponsors of seminarSponsors of seminar

Royal Statistical Society Official Royal Statistical Society Official Statistics CommitteeStatistics Committee

ESRC seminar series ‘What is ESRC seminar series ‘What is gender equality in a global era’gender equality in a global era’

Gender Statistics Users GroupGender Statistics Users Group

IntroductionIntroduction

The new duty to promote gender The new duty to promote gender equalityequality

Dilemmas and issuesDilemmas and issues Conceptualising gender equalityConceptualising gender equality Operationalising gender equality for Operationalising gender equality for

policy goalspolicy goals Measuring gender equality using Measuring gender equality using

indicators and statisticsindicators and statistics Examples in public policyExamples in public policy

The Gender DutyThe Gender Duty

Duty on 43,000 public bodies to Duty on 43,000 public bodies to promote gender equality promote gender equality

Derives from commitments in EU Derives from commitments in EU Treaty of Amsterdam and consequent Treaty of Amsterdam and consequent DirectivesDirectives

UK legislation to come into effect on UK legislation to come into effect on 30 April 200730 April 2007

Goes beyond personnel/employment Goes beyond personnel/employment issues issues

EU Treaty and DirectivesEU Treaty and Directives EC Treaty, amended by Treaty of EC Treaty, amended by Treaty of

Amsterdam 1997, recognises equality of Amsterdam 1997, recognises equality of women and men as a fundamental women and men as a fundamental principle and objective of the European principle and objective of the European CommunityCommunity

Articles provide specific legal basesArticles provide specific legal bases Articles 141, 137: employmentArticles 141, 137: employment Article 13: discrimination outside employmentArticle 13: discrimination outside employment

New Directives: Employment Equality, New Directives: Employment Equality, Equal Treatment AmendmentEqual Treatment Amendment

Transposed into domestic UK lawTransposed into domestic UK law

Rhetoric and Rhetoric and achievementachievement

Much ongoing policy innovationMuch ongoing policy innovation How much progress in achieving How much progress in achieving

gender equality?gender equality? How to identify and measure How to identify and measure

change, simply and reliably so as to change, simply and reliably so as to evaluate impact of policy changesevaluate impact of policy changes

Process for developing Process for developing indicators and statisticsindicators and statistics

Define gender equalityDefine gender equality Clear policy goals for gender equality Clear policy goals for gender equality Indicators to summarise complex dataIndicators to summarise complex data Benchmarks and targets establishedBenchmarks and targets established Gender disaggregated statistics Gender disaggregated statistics

collected to support indicatorscollected to support indicators Policy review mechanismsPolicy review mechanisms

Defining gender equalityDefining gender equality

Gender or women?Gender or women? What is gender equality?What is gender equality? Defining gender equality in the Defining gender equality in the

context of other inequalitiescontext of other inequalities

Why gender, not women?Why gender, not women?

Gender is the social relations between Gender is the social relations between women and menwomen and men

Changing women’s lives means Changing women’s lives means changing men’s liveschanging men’s lives

Not always appropriate to start from Not always appropriate to start from womenwomen sometimes appropriate to start from mensometimes appropriate to start from men Sometimes the key is the relationship Sometimes the key is the relationship

between men and womenbetween men and women

Example: Employment Example: Employment Goal of European Employment Strategy: Goal of European Employment Strategy:

reduce gender gaps in employment and reduce gender gaps in employment and unemployment and payunemployment and pay

Focus on women:Focus on women: Increase women’s employment; remove pay Increase women’s employment; remove pay

discriminationdiscrimination Focus on men:Focus on men:

Reduce long hours; provide paternity leaveReduce long hours; provide paternity leave Focus on gender:Focus on gender:

Reconciliation of working and family life; Reconciliation of working and family life; rebalance employment and caring in the rebalance employment and caring in the

workplace and at homeworkplace and at home

Concepts of gender Concepts of gender equalityequality

Debates over 3 approaches (Rees, Fraser) Debates over 3 approaches (Rees, Fraser) Equal treatmentEqual treatment

Equality through sameness e.g. equal payEquality through sameness e.g. equal pay Can equal treatment deliver equality if women and men are Can equal treatment deliver equality if women and men are

differently situated e.g. time spent on care?differently situated e.g. time spent on care? Equal valuation of different contributionsEqual valuation of different contributions

Equality through equal respect for different activities e.g. care; Equality through equal respect for different activities e.g. care; How far does equally valuing different contributions embed How far does equally valuing different contributions embed

inequality?inequality? TransformationTransformation

Equality through changing gendered patterns e.g. making the Equality through changing gendered patterns e.g. making the workplace carer-friendly so as to enable both women and men workplace carer-friendly so as to enable both women and men to engage in both care and employment, flexible, parental leaveto engage in both care and employment, flexible, parental leave

Is there support for a transformative project that leaves behind Is there support for a transformative project that leaves behind traditional conceptions of gendered action, even if the only way traditional conceptions of gendered action, even if the only way to achieve equality?to achieve equality?

Gender equality in policy Gender equality in policy approachapproach

Is equality best achieved by?Is equality best achieved by? Treating women and men in the same Treating women and men in the same

wayway Traditional legislative approachTraditional legislative approach

Providing women with special treatmentProviding women with special treatment Exceptions are allowed, but are controversialExceptions are allowed, but are controversial

Transforming the practices of both Transforming the practices of both women and menwomen and men Depends upon analysis, since may not rest on Depends upon analysis, since may not rest on

existing behaviourexisting behaviour

Employment exampleEmployment example Sameness/equal treatment: Equal pay for Sameness/equal treatment: Equal pay for

work of equal value; work of equal value; Special treatment: training in non-Special treatment: training in non-

traditional areas of work so as to break traditional areas of work so as to break down occupational segregation by sexdown occupational segregation by sex

Transformation: Regulating working time Transformation: Regulating working time in the workplace (e.g. parental leave) so in the workplace (e.g. parental leave) so that carers can maintain careers, so that that carers can maintain careers, so that both women and men can be both women and men can be simultaneously carers and workers, simultaneously carers and workers, removing the need for gendered choices.removing the need for gendered choices.

Gender mainstreamingGender mainstreaming Gender mainstreaming is the application Gender mainstreaming is the application

of gender equality principles in all areas of gender equality principles in all areas of policy by the normal policy actors of policy by the normal policy actors (Verloo)(Verloo) Which model of gender equality is Which model of gender equality is

mainstreamed?mainstreamed? European Commission considers that European Commission considers that

gender mainstreaming should always exist gender mainstreaming should always exist alongside, not as an alternative to, alongside, not as an alternative to, specific gender equality policies, so focal specific gender equality policies, so focal points of gender expertise are still neededpoints of gender expertise are still needed

IntersectionalityIntersectionalityGender equality and other Gender equality and other

equalitiesequalities Implications of intersection of gender Implications of intersection of gender

inequality with other inequalities (Crenshaw, inequality with other inequalities (Crenshaw, McCall)McCall)

No gender is a uniform category, so No gender is a uniform category, so attention to differenceattention to difference

In some areas, e.g. employment, policy In some areas, e.g. employment, policy appears to be similar and mutually appears to be similar and mutually supportivesupportive

In other areas, competition and contestation In other areas, competition and contestation over priorities, e.g. gay adoption and religionover priorities, e.g. gay adoption and religion

Policy developmentPolicy development

Categories and feminist theoryCategories and feminist theory Anticategorical approach (Braidotti)Anticategorical approach (Braidotti)

Policy action: no ambiguity in Policy action: no ambiguity in definition of gender equality can definition of gender equality can remainremain Indicators and statisticsIndicators and statistics

Why Indicators?Why Indicators? Indicators essential to implementation, Indicators essential to implementation,

to know if planned progress is being to know if planned progress is being achieved.achieved.

Indicators needed for targets and Indicators needed for targets and setting benchmarkssetting benchmarks

Simplify complex dataSimplify complex data Provide a clear focus to measure changeProvide a clear focus to measure change Always abstractionsAlways abstractions

Strength: simplifyStrength: simplify Weakness: omit some important issuesWeakness: omit some important issues

Types of indicatorsTypes of indicators

OutcomeOutcome The degree of gender inequality in a The degree of gender inequality in a

specific fieldspecific field Policy development and Policy development and

implementationimplementation Identifying the extent to which policy is Identifying the extent to which policy is

implemented on the groundimplemented on the ground

BenchmarksBenchmarks

Benchmarks are stable reference Benchmarks are stable reference points points

Point against which future positions Point against which future positions can be compared (for better or can be compared (for better or worse) worse)

Depend on indicators and statisticsDepend on indicators and statistics

TargetsTargets

Targets are the goals represented in a Targets are the goals represented in a figure that is measurable.figure that is measurable.

Where do we want to go?Where do we want to go? When do we want to get there?When do we want to get there? E.g. Barcelona target within the EES E.g. Barcelona target within the EES

on childcare measures the amount of on childcare measures the amount of childcare and when it should be childcare and when it should be availableavailable

Depends on indicators and statisticsDepends on indicators and statistics

Gender Disaggregated Gender Disaggregated StatisticsStatistics

Indicators depend upon robust dataIndicators depend upon robust data Quantitative data, usuallyQuantitative data, usually

Statistics need to be ‘gender Statistics need to be ‘gender disaggregated’ or ‘gender divided’disaggregated’ or ‘gender divided’

Meaningful disaggregationMeaningful disaggregation Policy relevant presentationPolicy relevant presentation

Are there adequate gender Are there adequate gender disaggregated statistics?disaggregated statistics?

Is the data collected? Is the data collected? Has data has been collected but is not yet Has data has been collected but is not yet

in public domain? in public domain? Does data need re-presenting in a more Does data need re-presenting in a more

suitable form for gender equality policy?suitable form for gender equality policy? Does a medium or long term data strategy Does a medium or long term data strategy

need to be developed? need to be developed? Can questions be added to an existing survey?Can questions be added to an existing survey? Is there a need for original data collection?Is there a need for original data collection?

ToolsTools

Gender impact assessmentGender impact assessment Gender budgetingGender budgeting

What gender equality What gender equality objectives?objectives?

Equal gender composition?Equal gender composition? During the decisional processDuring the decisional process In the population provided with the serviceIn the population provided with the service Equal numbers of women and men in the relevant Equal numbers of women and men in the relevant

population?population? What constitutes relevance?What constitutes relevance?

Gender equality in policy outcome?Gender equality in policy outcome? Direct and indirectDirect and indirect

Changing the relationship between Changing the relationship between differently gendered differently gendered organisations/policies/projectsorganisations/policies/projects

Mechanisms creating Mechanisms creating indirect gender effectsindirect gender effects

Segregation (or different proportions) of Segregation (or different proportions) of women and men in different activitieswomen and men in different activities Employment niches; sporting/leisure Employment niches; sporting/leisure

activities; Different travel patterns; victims activities; Different travel patterns; victims of crime of crime

Different resourcing of differently Different resourcing of differently gendered organisations or practicesgendered organisations or practices Equal funds for women’s and men’s sports? Equal funds for women’s and men’s sports? Equal resources to fight violent crime in the Equal resources to fight violent crime in the

street as violent crime in the home?street as violent crime in the home?

ExamplesExamples Examples of goals, indicators, targets and dataExamples of goals, indicators, targets and data EU: EU:

European Employment Strategy ‘ to create the most European Employment Strategy ‘ to create the most competitive knowledge based economy in the world’competitive knowledge based economy in the world’

Gender equality a fundamental principle and objectiveGender equality a fundamental principle and objective UKUK

Public Service Agreement ‘working with all Public Service Agreement ‘working with all departments, bring about measurable improvements in departments, bring about measurable improvements in gender equality across a range of indicators, as part of gender equality across a range of indicators, as part of the government’s objectives on equality and social the government’s objectives on equality and social inclusion’inclusion’

EU Gendered economic EU Gendered economic indicators, targets, data indicators, targets, data

sourcessources IndicatorIndicator: Gender gap employment : Gender gap employment

rate/Women’s employment raterate/Women’s employment rate TargetTarget: closing the gender employment : closing the gender employment

gap/women’s employment rate 57% by 2005, gap/women’s employment rate 57% by 2005, 60% by 201060% by 2010

Data sourceData source: Labour Force Survey (LFS): Labour Force Survey (LFS) IndicatorIndicator: Gender pay gap: Gender pay gap

TargetTarget: significant progress in closing gap: significant progress in closing gap Data sourceData source: new Survey on Income and Living : new Survey on Income and Living

Conditions (SILC)Conditions (SILC) IndicatorIndicator: Childcare provision: Childcare provision

TargetTarget: childcare for 90% of 3-school age; 33% : childcare for 90% of 3-school age; 33% of < 3, by 2010of < 3, by 2010

Data SourceData Source: new questions in LFS and SILC : new questions in LFS and SILC

UK PSA: Women’s UK PSA: Women’s economic participation and economic participation and

advancementadvancement GOALSGOALS

‘‘Enhancing lifetime incomes’Enhancing lifetime incomes’ ‘‘Maximising personal career development’Maximising personal career development’ ‘‘Optimising work-life balance’Optimising work-life balance’

BUTBUT No target or indicator on incomesNo target or indicator on incomes No target or indictor on high level jobsNo target or indictor on high level jobs

ONLYONLY Increase in awareness of right to request flexible workingIncrease in awareness of right to request flexible working Increase employer provision of flexible working time Increase employer provision of flexible working time Increase employer provision of childcareIncrease employer provision of childcare Increase numbers of large employers undertaking equal pay reviewsIncrease numbers of large employers undertaking equal pay reviews Increase women’s membership of SET boards Increase women’s membership of SET boards Increase in number of women newly self-employedIncrease in number of women newly self-employed Reduce under representation in ITEC jobsReduce under representation in ITEC jobs

WHY NOTWHY NOT Narrowing gender pay gap?Narrowing gender pay gap? Narrowing gender participation gap in employment?Narrowing gender participation gap in employment? Reducing occupational segregation?Reducing occupational segregation?

EU Gendered decision-EU Gendered decision-makingmaking

Indicator: proportion of Parliamentarians Indicator: proportion of Parliamentarians who are womenwho are women

Indicator: proportion of members of Indicator: proportion of members of executive boards of top 50 firms publicly executive boards of top 50 firms publicly quoted on national stock exchanges who quoted on national stock exchanges who are womenare women

Target: equality?Target: equality? Data base: European Commission Data base: European Commission

maintains a data base maintains a data base

UK PSA: UK PSA: Women’s Social and Civic Women’s Social and Civic

InclusionInclusion GOALGOAL

Equal representation in public lifeEqual representation in public life ONLYONLY

40% female appointments on public boards40% female appointments on public boards % women in top civil servants to reach 35% by % women in top civil servants to reach 35% by

2004/5 2004/5 Reduced target to 30% for 2008Reduced target to 30% for 2008

BUTBUT No target on MPs, Ministers, Lords, local No target on MPs, Ministers, Lords, local

governmentgovernment No target on judicial appointmentsNo target on judicial appointments No target on senior policeNo target on senior police

EU Indicators: EU Indicators: violence against womenviolence against women

3 Indicators 3 Indicators on domestic violence: on domestic violence: The number of female victims; The number of female victims; Types of victim support; Types of victim support; Measures to end violenceMeasures to end violence TargetTarget: none: none Data sourceData source: none: none

Indicators Indicators on sexual harassment in the on sexual harassment in the workplaceworkplace TargetTarget: none: none Data sourceData source: none: none

UK PSA: Women’s access to UK PSA: Women’s access to and experience of public and experience of public

service deliveryservice delivery GOALsGOALs

Equal access to public servicesEqual access to public services TARGETSTARGETS

Reducing the proportion of children in households where Reducing the proportion of children in households where no one is workingno one is working

Increase take up in childcare by lower income familiesIncrease take up in childcare by lower income families Introduce light touch childcare approval schemeIntroduce light touch childcare approval scheme Increase percentage of domestic violence cases where Increase percentage of domestic violence cases where

arrests are madearrests are made Increase coverage of second tier pensions for womenIncrease coverage of second tier pensions for women Improve local public transportImprove local public transport

BUTBUT Why not EU agreed Barcelona child care target?Why not EU agreed Barcelona child care target? Why not reduction in DV? And other forms of violence?Why not reduction in DV? And other forms of violence?

Tension between Tension between specificity and specificity and mainstreamingmainstreaming

Specific nature of gender-equality Specific nature of gender-equality and detailed appreciation of and detailed appreciation of distinctive nuances?distinctive nuances?

AND/ORAND/OR More general categories that More general categories that

facilitate addressing priorities within facilitate addressing priorities within the mainstream e.g. economic the mainstream e.g. economic growth?growth?

ConclusionsConclusions

The new duty on public bodies opens a The new duty on public bodies opens a new phase in gender equality policy in new phase in gender equality policy in the UKthe UK

Tension between different conceptions of Tension between different conceptions of gender equality gender equality

Many gender policy goals still being Many gender policy goals still being clarified and translated into indicators, clarified and translated into indicators, targetstargets

Statistics well provided in employment; Statistics well provided in employment; less well elsewhere.less well elsewhere.

PresentationsPresentations Morning: indicators and statisticsMorning: indicators and statistics Janneke Plantenga ‘Developing gender equality indicators Janneke Plantenga ‘Developing gender equality indicators

in EU’in EU’ Esther Breitenbach ‘Statistics for gender equality’Esther Breitenbach ‘Statistics for gender equality’

Afternoon: Afternoon: practical applications in policypractical applications in policy Andrea Murray ‘Implementation of the duty: progress & Andrea Murray ‘Implementation of the duty: progress &

challenges’challenges’ Shelha Hussain ‘The development of the equalities scheme Shelha Hussain ‘The development of the equalities scheme

in the Crown Prosecution Service’in the Crown Prosecution Service’ Jeff Turner and Frances Hodgson ‘Gender equality in Jeff Turner and Frances Hodgson ‘Gender equality in

transport’transport’

Reflections and responseReflections and response Paul Allin: ONSPaul Allin: ONS