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OBJECTIVES |
To give an overview of the gender-differentiated information sources to be taken into consideration at the beginning of and during an emergency operation.
Link: Needs Assessment Module.
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KEY CONCEPTS |
Data collection, Decentralisation, Gender specific information, Information management systems, Information sources, Labour force surveys, Partnership, Population census, Primary and secondary data, Sex differentiated data.
Data disaggregated by sex and critical socio-economic categories are needed at all levels of policy formulation, planning, implementation, and monitoring. Integration of gender is emphatically not about creating a separate body of knowledge about women. It is about reconceptualising social and economic processes, to take better stock of gendered realities[13].
Macro-level aggregate statistics often do not show crucial differences within a population -addressing outcomes considerably more than the processes, and associated complex relationships among multiple variables, leading to such outcomes.
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They frequently contain conceptual, practical and logistical biases and anomalies. Concepts such as "work", "labour force", "production", "income", and heads of "household" are often not well structured. Women’s activities, often more varied, complex, and seasonal than men’s are, tend to fall outside established boundaries of what constitute "productive activities" or work.
People interviewed often fail to categorize their productive activities as "work". Their income may tend to be irregular and from varied sources, and they may often seek to conceal what they earn. If interviewers are male they may find themselves speaking only to male respondents, by choice or due to local cultural constraints or both. If interviewers visit households in the hours when the evening meal is being prepared, they may not be able to interview women.
Census data, while useful in analyzing long-term trends, are often of limited use in emergencies due to their infrequent collection, long gestation periods, and the limited number of variables they cover. They tend to be centralized, standardized, and simplified. Consequently, they may be ill equipped to deal with complex local realities and overlook remote or marginalized populations. They are often sectorally organized, so that useful data generated in one sector are not available to other sectors, and are not always readily usable, retrievable, or comprehensible.
Managers should realize that information about gender "does not come cheap". Not acquiring it may turn out a great deal more expensive in terms of projects that fail or are dysfunctional because the information on which they are based is faulty in that it lacks the gender-based perspective[14].
Many countries use specially commissioned sample surveys to gather data for specific purposes, at shorter intervals. These surveys, if appropriately designed, can be extremely useful in yielding information about the socio-economic and gender dimensions of development problems. The current state of the art in survey concepts and design, however, carries some built-in difficulties in addressing gender issues.
Different research and extension packages already popularized around the world, such as Farmer Participatory Research, Farming Systems Research Extension (FSRE), and Rapid Appraisal, incorporate participatory methodologies in different forms and to different degrees. Rapid Appraisals could be designed to provide some "typical" socio-economic profiles and gender relations models for different contexts within the country. These could help policy makers, for example, understand how different production incentive policies impact people at the field level.
Experience has shown that women (especially female-headed households) are often most vulnerable when an emergency occurs due to, amongst other factors, their frequently lower economic and social status.
In emergency operations, a quick response is essential and there is scant time available for lengthy surveys. Emergency operators are required to quickly analyse and integrate collected information and food security policy in view of designing appropriate responses, to restore and assist in ensuring the sustainability of the livelihoods of the affected and vulnerable population.
Sex-differentiated information is often insufficiently available in national and international databases. Women’s work in agriculture is largely unreported and underestimated in population censuses and labour force surveys. Existing databases are often not well developed and updated, and information is often scattered, anecdotal and conflicting. Further methodologies for surveying and analysing data may differ from country to country and among different institutions. Consequently data utilization by emergency operators can prove difficult, leading to constraints in effectively addressing gender issues.
Special efforts are being undertaken to improve measurement techniques in order to quantify more accurately the extent of female participation in agricultural work. For example the FAO Programme for the World Census of Agriculture 2000 has placed emphasis on various items that can provide gender-related structural information on agricultural activities[15].
Databases for sex-differentiated information for those responsible for impact assessment should be established. These should be integrated or linked to a Common International Database (CID) in the Food Insecurity Vulnerability Information Mapping System (FIVIMS). In order to protect all essential baseline data, which could eventually feed a database, these should be kept outside conflict-prone zones.
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A post-Mitch analysis of selected social indicators has revealed critical vulnerabilities for women in the affected countries (Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador), that have provided some explanation on the differential gender effects of the Hurricane. These countries had low life expectancy, and high maternal mortality, fertility, teenage pregnancy and illiteracy rates among rural women. Moreover, these societies were characterized by relatively high rates of female-headed households, mainly linked to civil and armed conflict in the region, with a consequent high male mortality and out-migration. The hurricane Mitch had a more severe impact in terms of men’s death and has thus exacerbated the situation increasing the number of female-headed households. |
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Women should be accounted to be of economic importance by general systems of national accounting, as recommended by the International Labour Organization. A population census might indicate women as not economically active, while other sources of information (sector surveys of planning institutions) may show women to be involved in productive activities such as fuel-wood collection. For example, in Pakistan, women’s economic participation varies from 3 percent (1981 Population Census) to 12 percent (Labour Force Survey). The Agriculture Census (1981) estimated that 73 percent of women in agriculture households were economically active. The Labour Force Survey (1990/91) showed women’s economic activity rates of 7 percent when using conventional questionnaires and 31 percent when considering questions on specific activities such as transplanting rice, picking cotton, grinding, drying seeds and tending livestock. |
It is rarely possible to respond to high information demands in a rapidly changing emergency-situation. Conventional data-collection techniques may not be feasible and baseline information may not reflect the new reality. Rapid appraisal techniques (PRA) provide effective tools to consolidate information in a representative and efficient manner under emergency-situations.
A number of global and local information sources are available and can be utilized for emergency and contingency planning. UN agencies and NGOs also integrate national official data through country FIVIM, VAM and Early Warning systems and focal points.
In some complex disaster situations these sources might not be in existence, may be disrupted or not accessible for a variety of reasons. In such cases, the UN and other aid agencies may act as the sole custodians of up to date information.
The WFP World VAM Network currently provides food security analysis for 36 countries. It offers an information base for contingency planning and emergency needs assessment activities. It is also used to monitor changes in the food security of target groups, and assist in assessing progress made towards achieving Key WFP programme objectives.
To simplify data collection at country central level two statistical categories are typically identified that encompass most vulnerable groups, i.e., marginal farmers and the landless.
VAM systems use primary and secondary data sources (e.g. rapid assessments, key informant interviews and expert panel workshops) to fill important data gaps. For gender mainstreaming the WFP VAM system promotes the collection and analysis of sex-disaggregated data, the identification of gender based gaps or disparities and the design of graphic outputs which highlight gender disparities. Gender-sensitive approaches and techniques are integrated into rapid rural appraisals and emergency needs assessment analysis.
A common constraint in the integration of a gender perspective in the WFP VAM exercise is related to the lack of sex-disaggregation in secondary databases. Limited resources to collect and analyze primary data, to properly assess the specific needs of the target households (particularly women) are another constraint.
It is recommended that the user collects the most updated national agriculture censuses, general population censuses and periodical sample reports survey (on population, agriculture, food security) from relevant institutions at country level. As much gender-differentiated information should be extracted as possible, at sub-national disaggregation level.
The main objective of the WFP VAM network is to increase the effectiveness of WFP aid by improving the understanding of food security dynamics and the vulnerability to food insecurity. It provides an information base for contingency planning and emergency needs assessment and monitors changes in food security of the target groups, transferring skills and developing planning and analysis systems among local partners.
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The FAO Global Information and Early Warning System on Food and Agriculture (GIEWS), provides policy-makers and analysts up-to-date and accurate information on all aspects of food supply and demand. It produces periodic bulletins on food crop production and markets at global level and situation reports on a regional and country-by-country basis. GIEWS compiles and analyses information on global production, stocks, trades and food aid, export prices and main grain exchange developments. It reacts to emergency-situations by sending rapid evaluation missions to the countries affected and issuing Special Alerts reports that are quickly disseminated to the international community. The missions are often fielded jointly with WFP.
This system develops also new approaches and technologies for early warning and makes these available to national and regional early warning systems. GIEWS is closely linked for information sharing with governments, NGOs, other UN agencies, research institutions, the international press and private individuals.
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[13] Source: Coelho, K. &
Coffey, M., 1996. FAO Paper - Reversing the Flow: Toward Gender-Oriented Policy
Information Systems in Agriculture. [14] Source: Macdonald, M., 1994. Oxfam Paper - Gender Planning in Development Agencies: Meeting the Challenge. Oxford. [15] Source: FAO, 1999. Filling the data gap - Gender-sensitive statistics for agricultural development. Rome. Pages 17-18. |
