Devex: Bringing girls into the data revolution
Helena Minchew, program officer for U.S. foreign policy at the International Women’s Health Coalition

“…[T]he data revolution must go beyond just counting girls. It must go further than the often-cited need for sex-disaggregated data. It must encompass more than official data sources, such as the Demographic and Health Surveys, national statistical commissions, and U.N. agencies. To supplement these sources, we need to look to the local organizations that work most closely with girls, and we must be willing to ask difficult and complicated questions. … [D]etailed, more qualitative information can inform projects that can be life-changing for girls; we shouldn’t underestimate its value. … We must ensure those who have the most to say about the lived experiences of girls around the world have their voices heard. These experiences and this knowledge should be fed into the official [Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)] processes, at the global and national levels…” (10/11).