Dear Data2X partners and friends,
What a year we’ve had (cue a collective deep breath). Much like you, I never could have predicted the unique ways in which the pandemic has altered our way of living and working. Even with all the hardship we saw in 2020, I am convinced that these challenges have made us — and will continue to make us — more adaptable, intentional, and empathetic in our pursuit of a more equitable future.
I have seen proof of this in our partners — whose work continues to drive immense progress in the data and gender spaces and beyond — and in my own team members, who tirelessly push the bounds of what it means to advance the ever-growing gender data movement.
In a year that has been anything but consistent, I take comfort in the fact that Data2X remains steadfast in its mission: to improve the availability, quality, and use of gender data in order to make a practical difference in the lives of women and girls worldwide.
Of chief concern since March has been understanding the obvious and not-so-obvious ways the COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately impacts women and girls. We’ve been tracking and researching these short- and long-term implications through our portfolio of COVID-19 work, while advocating for governments to use and invest in gender data to inform pandemic response and recovery efforts. And with 2020 marking the twenty-fifth anniversary of the adoption of the monumental Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, we’ve extended similar calls-to-action to prioritize gender data to those leading the renewed push for gender equality through our six-part brief series, Gender Data for Generation Equality.
This ongoing advocacy is important, because we know that without gender-sensitive, data-informed policy decisions, we risk maintaining a status quo in which women’s and girls’ needs are left out.
Data2X has also continued to advance our mission by tracking the state of gender data both globally and regionally to understand where we’ve made progress — and where we’re falling behind — in filling gender data gaps. We’ve sought to build a more complete picture of women’s economic lives by collaborating with partners to make women’s work visible through data, to provide a compendium of tools for measuring women’s economic empowerment, and to improve women’s financial inclusion. We also continue to challenge the way foundational data systems — like civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) systems — are often underfunded and taken for granted in improving women’s access to basic human rights such as education, voting, financial independence, and health care through our videos, Boundless Potential and Better Data for a Better World.
These highlights are just a few of our own silver linings in this challenging year, and of course, none of them would be possible without our incredible partners. We hope that our work continues to provide space for conversations on the meaningful ways gender data is — and should be — integrated in every aspect of global development, and we encourage you to dive into more of our work by visiting our website, where you can explore our Resource Center, our blog “The 2X Take,” Event Milestones, Gender Data Glossary, and more.
Building a more equitable future where gender data is central to improving the lives of all people — and especially women and girls — relies on strong partnerships, diverse conversations, and a collective willingness to push the envelope on what’s possible. I can’t imagine having better partners and friends joining us in the pursuit of quality gender data.
With thanks and admiration,
Emily Courey Pryor and the Data2X Team