National Conference on Gender Data and Statistics
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) in collaboration with UN Women organized a one-day national conference on "Gender Data and Statistics: From Evidence to Policy Insights" on November 2, 2026, in New Delhi. The conference brought together policymakers, representatives from Central Ministries/Departments and State Governments, statisticians, researchers, academic institutions, technical experts, and UN agency representatives to deliberate on strengthening the analysis and use of gender statistics for evidence-based policymaking.
The primary purpose was to deliberate on and disseminate findings from the flagship publication "Women and Men in India 2025" with the aim of deepening understanding of key findings across sectors, facilitating inter-ministerial discussions, and identifying opportunities to strengthen analytical and policy use of gender statistics.
Conference Proceedings and Thematic Sessions
The inaugural session featured addresses from several key figures: Ms. Shoko Ishikawa, Country Representative of UN Women India, emphasized the importance of gender-disaggregated data and bridging the gap between data producers and users. Mr. Jean-Eric Paquet, Ambassador of the European Union to India, highlighted the EU-India Strategic Partnership in advancing gender equality and women's economic participation. Dr. Preetam B. Yashvant, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, and Dr. Dalip Singh, Director General (Central Statistics) of MoSPI, both addressed the gathering, with Dr. Singh emphasizing the need to identify gender gaps for evidence-based policies. Dr. Shamika Ravi, Member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, highlighted progress in welfare delivery and women's financial empowerment while stressing the need for improved employment quality, state-level analysis, and stronger gender statistics to guide policy reforms.
The conference featured four thematic technical sessions that examined specific findings from the Women and Men in India 2025 report. The health and survival session recognized progress in maternal healthcare and essential health services while highlighting persistent challenges in nutrition and adolescent health. The education session noted improvements in girls' enrollment but emphasized significant gaps in learning outcomes, STEM participation, and employment pathways.
The session on women's work acknowledged rising female labor-force participation but highlighted challenges in job quality, wage disparities, and unequal burden of unpaid care work. The livelihoods session recognized progress in women's entrepreneurship and financial inclusion while stressing the need for better access to credit, markets, sustainable livelihoods, and addressing issues of women's agency and safety.
Conclusions and Future Directions
During the valedictory session, Ms. Suhela Khan, Country Programme Manager for Women's Economic Empowerment at UN Women India, and Ms. Geeta Singh Rathore, Director General (NSS) of MoSPI, highlighted the need to address persistent gender disparities across health, education, and economic participation domains, with particular emphasis on employment quality, unpaid care work, and financial inclusion. The discussions provided valuable inputs for future editions of the Women and Men in India report, particularly the 2026 edition, underscoring the importance of improved measurement of gender gaps, strengthened inter-ministerial coordination, and evidence-based policymaking.
The conference concluded by reaffirming the importance of strengthening India's gender statistical ecosystem and fostering continued collaboration among government institutions, statistical agencies, researchers, and development partners. It emphasized the need to translate gender-disaggregated data into meaningful policy insights to support inclusive development and advance gender equality.