September 2009
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Information Session on Gender Issues 1 September 2009, ITU Headquarters, Geneva
ITU work in the area of gender-disaggregated ICT data
Vanessa GrayMarket Information and Statistics Division (STAT)Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT)
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ITU Statistical Obligation
As a United Nations agency, the ITU has an obligation to produce statistics covering its sector. This is in line with other specialized UN agencies that publish statistics covering their respective field of operations.
Inside ITU, Resolution No. 8 (Doha, 2006) calls on the Director of the BDT “…to survey countries and produce world and regional reports, in particular on…world telecommunication development.”
– Track the digital divide
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ITU data collection
ITU Statistics
Telecom statistics (INFRASTRUCTURE)
(annual questionnaire)Source: Regulators/
ministries
ICT HouseholdStatistics (ACCESS/USE)
(annual questionnaire)Source: NSOs
Administrative data
Survey data
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Limits to gender-disaggregated data
Majority of ITU data are based on administrative data that cannot be gender-disaggregatedFixed telephone networkMobile cellular subscriptions Internet/broadband subscriptionsTraffic and tariffRevenue/investmentBroadcasting
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Where gender ‘counts’ (and can be counted!)
Certain administrative data, for example staff dataFemale telecommunication staff
ICT (individual) use data, collected through national household surveys
Individuals who use a computer Individuals who use the Internet Individuals with use of a mobile cellular
telephone
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Female telecommunication staff About 65% of countries
collect gender-disaggregated data on telecommunication staff
Data often refer only to (former) incumbent
Data suggest that the percentage of female staff varies across regions but data do not distinguish between level of staff (professional, administrative)
Female telecommunication staff as a percentage of total telecommunication staff, 2008 (or latest available data), BDT regions
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
Asia&Pacif ic Arab States Africa Europe Americas CIS
%
Source: ITU WTI database.
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Female professional telecom staff In 2005 ITU started
collecting data on professional staff (gender disaggregated)
Only about 10% of ITU Member States report these data (because data are not collected?)
Existing data suggest that females are largely under-represented in higher level positions across countries
Female professional mobile telecommunication staff a a percentage of
total mobile telecommunication staff, selected countries, 2007
0 2 4 6 8 10
Eritrea
Kenya
Oman
Bulgaria
Serbia
%
Source: ITU WTI database.
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ICT use data: availability and quality
ITU has been collecting gender-disaggregated data on Internet users for many years
Source and quality of data not always clear in countries that do not carry out surveys
Data are increasingly reliable since more and more countries carry out national surveys
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Internet user data
Percentage of female Internet users , selected countries, 2007
0
10
20
30
40
50
Afg
hani
stan
Aze
rbai
jan
Gha
na
Mac
edon
ia
Jord
an
Egy
pt
Mor
occo
Chi
na
Sau
di A
rabi
a
Aus
tria
Kor
ea (
Rep
)
Mal
aysi
a
Sin
gapo
re
Pol
and
Cze
ch R
epub
lic
Bra
zila
Syr
ia
Latv
ia
New
Zea
land
Ger
man
y
%
Source: ITU WTI database.
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Existing data suggest…
The digital divide in terms of Internet use between women and men is closing
In most developed countries, as many women as men already use the Internet
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ITU will produce more and better gender-disaggregated data
ITU household questionnaire to collect data on ICT access to and use of ICTs to produce the following gender-disaggregated data: Individuals who use a computer Individuals who use the Internet (by location of use; by
activity; by frequency, and by age) Individuals with use of a mobile cellular telephone
Currently collecting 2006-2008 data. Gender-disaggregated data available for about 30 countries (+ Eurostat countries).
ITU encourages and helps countries to collect gender-disaggregated data (core list of ICT indicators, household manual, capacity building)
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Analyzing gender-disaggregated data
ITU uses gender-disaggregated data for its analytical reports, see for example:
Source: Information Society Statistical Profiles 2009, Americas (forthcoming September 9 th, 2009)
Proportion of Internet users by gender, various years, Americas
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Thank you
Questions? Comments? Contact indicators(at)itu.int