Dr. Jemal Mohammed and Zemene Yohannes, who are staff members of the Policy Studies Institute (PSI), participated in an international training program (ITP) on gender statistics.
Two PSI Researchers presented their Gender Statistics Pilot Report and Communications Plan for their Change Initiative on the use and communication of gender statistics in a final seminar of the International Training Program (ITP) on Gender statistics on the 13th of December 2022. They presented their reports virtually to participants in Statistics Sweden, and stakeholders in Ethiopia. In this seminar, the participants in the program from PSI, Zemene Yohannes, and Jemal Mohammed, shared their gender statistics pilot on the gender issue of ‘’Low participation of women in the labor force’’ in the context of Ethiopia. They highlighted the prevalence of gender inequality in the labor force using statistical data. They also shared their communications plan that focuses on promoting the use and dissemination of gender statistics in policy studies and reviews.
The ITP on Gender Statistics is an international training program organized by Statistics Sweden in collaboration with Sida. The ITP is specifically designed for professionals who hold a position in their home organization with a mandate to drive change processes. The ITP aims to develop capacity over time so that participating organizations can define and achieve their goals in both the short and long term. The ITP is based on the assumption that organizations want to drive change and are willing to invest their resources in the process
The ITP journey began this way. Statistics Sweden, in collaboration with Sida, invited statistics producers and strategic users of statistics from five African countries to participate in the ITP Gender Statistics. This capacity-building program aims to provide participants with tools and skills to develop, use, and communicate gender statistics to monitor gender equality work and promote evidence-based decision-making.
The overall aim of the International Training Program (ITP) on Gender Statistics is to contribute to greater equality in participating countries. By building capacity in gender statistics for key actors in government organizations, civil society, the media, and academia, this ITP aims to contribute to the increased use of gender statistics in the implementation of new laws, policies, and reforms. Changing attitudes and behaviors related to gender equality are fundamental in this process, and the participant's role as a "change agent" is therefore an important component of this ITP
Participants in this particular ITP, referred to by Statistics Sweden as ITP Batch 2021B, have diverse disciplinary, institutional, and country backgrounds. This diversity provides a good opportunity to share experiences and broaden the scope of influence. The program, in which we are enrolled, has been running since October 2021 and is scheduled to conclude in December 2022. This seminar is an indicator of the end of the program.