Unit 3: How to mainstream gender in ILO operations
Information collection
Methods of data collection
Link: Gender issues in employment and unemployment statistics
There is an ever-increasing body of literature related to methods of information collection for gender analysis. Some titles are given below, along with abstracts, where available.
Anker R. 1983. "Female Labour Force Participation: ILO Research on Conceptual and Measurement Issues." Geneva: ILO.
This is a conference paper on data collecting methodology for the measurement of women workers’ labour force participation in developing countries. It shows how sex bias in definitions and questionnaire design contributes to the systematic under-reporting of women’s economic activity. It discusses alternative approaches, including an activity-time budget questionnaire and less market orientation in research design.
Anker R. 1983. "Female Labour Force Participation in Developing Countries: A Critique of Current Definitions and Data Collection Methods." In International Labour Review, 122 (6), Nov.-Dec. Geneva: ILO.
This article on data collection for the measurement of women workers’ labour force participation in developing countries attributes the under-reporting of women’s economic role to sex bias in definition, questionnaire design, and the interviewers. it proposes four alternative definitions as well as a questionnaire based on a simplified activity-time budget approach, using results from a field study of Indian rural women to substantiate the argument.
Hedman B., F.Perucci and P. Sundstrom. 1996. Engendering Statisitcs: A Tool for Change. Sweden: Statisitcs Sweden and Sida.
This book is meant for statisticians and for trainers as a resource manual. It answers some common questions: what are gender statistics; why do we need them? how can we address users' needs? It also provides an overniew of the main gender concerns in various policy areas, suggesting how to identify related information needs and sources. The manual also discusses problems and biases in data quality originating from gender stereotypes. Steps in successful data pesnetation and dissemination are presneted. The final chapter guides users on how to conduct a one-week training course on gender statistics using the book as a resource manual.
Oppong C. and K. Abu. 1985. Handbook for Data Collection and Analysis on Seven Roles and Statuses of Women. Geneva: ILO.
The manual provides a more systematic conceptual framework for the cross-cultural collection and analysis of data relevant to the testing of hypotheses and the development of theoretical models regarding the changing social roles and status of women. It describes a conceptual framework for the classification and analysis of data on seven different kinds of roles played by women in their societies and a brief consideration of men’s reciprocal roles, i.e., parental, occupational, conjugal. domestic, kind, community and individual. It discusses techniques such as interviewing, questionnaires, and recording of biographical information, giving examples of role profiles.
Siltaten Janet, Jennifer Jarman and Robert M. Blackburn. gender inequality in the labour market: occupational concentration and segregation. A manual on methodology. Geneva: ILO.
This user-friendly manual, which can be used as a self-learning or as a teaching tool, guides readers through all stages in producing data on occupational concentration and segregation. It clarifies concepts and measures, discusses quality and availability of information, and reviews various methodological tools, using well-known statistical software packages. Essential for researchers and analysis’s of occupational data.