Contact: Dilly Severin | dseverin@data2x.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Statement by Emily Courey Pryor, Executive Director of Data2X, on United States National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality:
“Data2X applauds the release of the United States’ first-ever National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality, and the consultative process through which it was produced. An historic moment for the United States government and Americans of all genders, the Strategy’s stated whole-of-government, intersectional approach provides a basis to make meaningful progress toward gender equality at home and abroad.
Gender data collection, availability, and use in policies and programs are critical to achieve the Strategy’s identified goals. Therefore, Data2X is pleased to see the administration’s commitment to a government-wide effort to close gender data gaps, affirmed by explicit targets for augmented data production across half of the plan’s strategic priorities, as well as recognition of gender data as a core pillar of implementation. As the Strategy rightly identifies, gender data is a crucial enabler of monitoring and evaluation—ensuring that U.S. taxpayer dollars put toward domestic and foreign policy initiatives are well-spent—and increased gender data production, use, and investment must remain strategic imperatives across all stated priorities.
Critically, this must also include investment in bilateral aid. As joint Data2X research has shown, core gender data systems have been chronically underfunded by nearly $450 million each year over the last five years alone, and global development assistance for gender data suffers from a continued downward trend. Investment in development financing for gender data stands to strengthen the United States’ global leadership and make a meaningful difference for women and girls worldwide.
Data2X was launched in 2014, following former U.S. Secretary of State Clinton’s call for increased global action for gender data as a cornerstone of coordinated efforts to advance gender equality. Since inception, Data2X has convened institutional partnerships to address gender data gaps and advocated for gender data use to inform targeted policymaking. Data2X applauds the administration’s recognition of gender data as a crucial component of the Strategy’s success—and we look forward to working in partnership to ensure quality gender data supports progress on the United States’ newly identified priorities.”
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About Data2X
Data2X is a global gender data alliance that builds the case and mobilizes action for gender data. Through our research, advocacy, and communications, we make gender data central to global efforts to achieve gender equality.