About the event
In 2022, the Partnership in Statistics for Development in the 21st Century (PARIS21) and Centro de Pensamiento Estratégico Internacional (Cepei) pioneered the creation of the first Community of Practice (CoP) on Data-Driven Communications in Latin America and the Caribbean.
This initiative brought together the region’s national statistical offices (NSOs) and stakeholders outside the statistical system to exchange knowledge and strengthen the capacity to communicate data for decision-making. Currently, ten NSOs in the region are members of the CoP.
The variety of data and formats has created the need to apply new analysis tools that guarantee results according to actual needs to support decision-making. In response to this commitment, on August 31, the CoP organized its first talk to share the main recommendations and best practices in communicating data visualizations on gender equality.
Speakers
María Lucía Scuro
Social Affairs Officer, Gender Division
ECLAC
Paz Patiño
Policy Analyst, Gender Statistics
PARIS21
Moderation
Alexandra Roldán
Communications Manager
Cepei
Main points of the intervention
María Lucía Scuro, Social Affairs Officer of ECLAC’s Gender Equality Observatory, explained two principles that should be considered when producing gender information. 1) data disaggregation should go beyond sex, and 2) data cross-referencing from different sources of information should be explored. She also stated that “the regional architecture of Latin America and the Caribbean favors the production of gender statistics and their comparability.
Information gaps in the region require greater production, use of data, and effective communication to facilitate decision-making for the benefit of gender equality. Indicators should focus primarily on:
1
Socioeconomic inequality and persistent poverty in the context of exclusionary growth.
2
The division of labor and unjust social organization of care.
3
The concentration of power and hierarchical relations in the public sphere.
4
Patriarchal, discriminatory, and violent cultural patterns.
Paz Patiño, Policy Analyst at PARIS21, shared five recommendations for leveraging gender data to create high-impact visualizations:
1
Let the data speak and draw out a message based on data analysis.
2
Use data, rates, and ratios to help the audience understand data comparisons.
3
Arrange the data to show the main gender issues you want to highlight.
4
Choose the most straightforward option that conveys a clear message to the non-technical audience (avoid using 3D, lots of colors, and complicated graphics).
5
Avoid stereotypes when linking color palettes and iconography.
Community of Practice on Data-Driven Communications in Latin America and the Caribbean
Cepei and PARIS21 identified that NSO communication experts did not have their own space for peer-to-peer exchange. The Cop provides a learning platform to strengthen communication skills and bring data closer to decision-makers.
Currently, ten NSOs in the region are members of the Community: Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, and Uruguay. Other countries are expected to join this initiative to strengthen the regional network and exchange common challenges regarding timely and effective data communication.
Organizers
