September 2009

Committed to Connecting the World

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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)

September 2009

Committed to Connecting the World

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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

September 2009

Committed to Connecting the World

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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

September 2009

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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

September 2009

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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.

September 2009

Committed to Connecting the World

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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.

September 2009

Committed to Connecting the World

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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

September 2009

Committed to Connecting the World

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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.

September 2009

Committed to Connecting the World

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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

September 2009

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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)

September 2009

Committed to Connecting the World

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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

September 2009

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Thank you

Questions? Comments? Contact indicators(at)itu.int