UN Women supports 30th Annual Conference of Ethiopian Statistical Association 

The two-day annual conference of the Ethiopian Statistical Association (ESA) organized in collaboration with UN Women, Ethiopian Statistics Service and Unity University was held under the theme: The role of statistics for national development in the past, present and future perspective of Ethiopia.

With over three hundred participants, the main objectives of this year’s conference include providing opportunities for multi-stakeholder collaboration among statisticians, creating awareness on the generation, analysis and use of gender statistics as well as enhancing the use of gender statistical data for policy making and programmatic interventions.

In his remarks to, Dr. Dejen Tesfaw, President of Ethiopian Statistical Association (ESA), said, “In the absence of improved statistical data and national statistical system, it could be impossible to measure progress towards national development and the Sustainable Development Goals. Comparable statistical data are very critical to formulate evidence-based policies and strategies.”

In his remarks to the conference, Mr. Schadrack Dusabe, Representative of UN Women Ethiopia Country Office (a.i.), emphasized the importance and use of gender statistics and analysis for accountability purposes on the extent to which all people living in the country are served by development gains. He further pointed out that statistics harnesses evidence-based decision making through uncovering areas where there are discriminations of any form, including gendered discrimination, as well as facilitating planning for inclusive development and finally monitoring and evaluating progress towards aspired development goals.

UN Women Ethiopia Country Office has been working with the Ethiopian Statistics Service under the Making Every Woman and Girl Count Programme for Ethiopia since January 2019 through the coordination unit. With financial support from the Government of Sweden/SIDA and Government of Norway, the partnership aims to strengthen the availability, accessibility and use of gender statistics to track progress on gender equality and the empowerment of women and improve reporting on the implementation of the SDGs and national development plans.