Unit 3: How to mainstream gender in ILO operations

International Labour Organization
SEAPAT
South-East Asia and the Pacific Multidisciplinary Advisory Team
ILO/SEAPAT's OnLine Gender Learning & Information Module

Unit 3: How to mainstream gender in ILO operations

Information collection

Identification of information needs

In collecting gender sensitive information, the first step is usually to identify the information needed to address the problem/concern, investigate the causes, assess the effects and analyse the relationships with other variables. Once the information needed is listed, we identify the information actually available. It is important to note that the information needed may take the form of statistics and indicators. It may also take the form of experts’ judgements, qualitative considerations, anthropological studies and other types of information.

The following example illustrates needed quantitative statistics and indicators on causes and effects of occupational segregation in the labour force with women in lower status occupations than men.

Example: Needed statistics and indicators

Problem/concern	Occupational segregation in labour force with women in lower status occupations
Underlying causes
Sex segregation in education
Population 15 years and over by level of education and age
Population with third level education by field of study and age
School enrollment at third level by field of study
Population economically active by level of education and age
Population economically active with third level of education by field of study and age
Population economically active by level of education and occupation
Unequal sharing of responsibilities within the family
Time spent in paid and unpaid work by marital status
Time spent in paid and unpaid work by marital status and number and age of children
Time spent in different activities of unpaid work by marital status, with and without children
Employed population by marital status and age
Employed population by marital status, number and age of children
Women’s reproductive role
Economically/not economically active population by marital status and number of children
Employed population leaving the labour force after birth of the first/second child
Employed population on parental leave
Employers’ prejudices and stereotypes
Employers’ preferences for women and men as employees in different occupations
Numbers of lawsuits for sex discrimination in the workplace
Individual choices and preferences in occupation
Graduated from second/third level education by preference of occupation
Graduated from second/third level education by occupation actually chosen
Vocational trainees by field of study
Consequences/effects
Different wages and salaries
Wages/salaries by occupation
Wages/salaries by industry
Wages/salaries in public and private sector
Different career opportunities
Employed population by career position in the workplace
Employed population by career position and public/private sector
Employees by industry and size of enterprise
Employers by industry and size of enterprise
Different roles in decisionmaking
Employed population by career position in the workplace
Employed population by career position and public/private sector
Employees by industry and size of enterprise
Employers by industry and size of enterprise
Members and elected officials in trade unions by union
High level officials in ministries

[Adapted from Birgitta Hedman, Francesca Perucci and Pehr Sundstrom, Engendering Statistics: A Tool for Change, Sida and Statistics Sweden, 1996.]

Module Homepage

For further information, please contact the South-East Asia and the Pacific Multidisciplinary
Advisory Team (SEAPAT) at Tel: +63.2.815.2354 or Fax: +63.2.812.6143
E-mail: seapat@ilo.org

This page was revised by SF. It was approved by WRB. It was last updated on 2 November 1998.