Virtual Seminars on Producing Proxy Estimates for SDG Indicator 5.a.1 using Demographic and Health Surveys

FAO held a series of webinars on Producing Proxy Estimates for SDG Indicator 5.a.1 using Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) on 17, 18 and 22 August 2022. Participants came from national statistical offices, ministries of agriculture and other stakeholders of 18 countries. Experts of the DHS Programme and global and regional gender statisticians of UN Women served as resource persons.

SDG indicator 5.a.1 was classified as a Tier II indicator in March 2017, indicating that the methodology for its collection and computation has been finalized and approved. Since then, capacity building efforts have been undertaken by FAO, at regional and country levels. However, integrating the complete set of questions recommended to collect data for SDG indicator 5.a.1 is a process that takes time, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic that has very often meant the interruption and postponing of most data collections around the globe.

In order to improve countries’ capacity for reporting on indicator 5.a.1, FAO is looking into existing standardized internationally-supported surveys that have the potential of providing data for calculating proxies for indicator 5.a.1. Although these surveys have not been designed to apply the recommended methodology for the indicator, they have collected data that provide a sufficient amount of information for producing a measure that can approximate the indicator. One such survey is the series of phase VII Demographic and Health Surveys.

Objectives of the webinars

The webinars had the following learning objectives: 

• Understand the concepts and data requirements needed to estimate SDGi-5.a.1
• Assess the extent to which the data available in their country DHS meet the data requirements for estimating SDGi-5.a.1
• Understand how available data from their country DHS can be used to compute proxy measures for the sub-indicators SDGi-5.a.1(a) and SDGi-5.a.1(b)
• Understand the limitations of the proxy measures based on their country DHS data

In terms of action objectives, countries were strongly encouraged to take actions to:

• Validate the proxy estimates from their DHS surveys
• Study potential for integrating SDGi-5.a.1 data requirements in future DHS
• Determine wider applicability of proxy measures for SDGi-5.a.1from their other household and agricultural surveys
• Assess how their planned and current statistical programs integrates/can integrate regular monitoring of SDG Target 5a through SDGi-5.a.1

The DHS Programme, UN Women and FAO through collaborative and coordinated initiatives would support countries:

• Provide technical support for validation and assessing applicability of proxy measures
• Review initial proxy estimates and revise where needed based on feedback from countries
• Provide technical and advocacy support for better integrating SDGi-5.a.1 data requirements in DHS and other relevant household surveys
• Support countries in analysis and use of SDGi-5.a.1related data

Outputs

This series of webinars presented the proxy estimation methodology for 5.a.1 using DHS data developed by FAO to 86 participants from 18 countries. Participants provided feedback on the methodology and the estimates produced. The webinars also facilitated discussions that identified opportunities for expanding the potential of the DHS as a data source for indicator 5.a.1 and, in general, for improving future data collections for the indicator.

FAO will be following up with countries on the actions to be undertaken to validate the estimates as well as to look into strengthening the role of the DHS and other standardized international surveys that are part of their statistical programmes as sources of data for regularly producing indicator 5.a.1.

FAO, the DHS Program and UN Women will continue the dialogue and initiatives to support countries on how future DHS surveys could incorporate recommendations of the official 5.a.1 methodology in order to provide improved data for SDG indicator 5.a.1.