Thomson Reuters Foundation: OPINION: Gender counts: Why investing in data on girls means transforming the future
Karin Hulshof, UNICEF regional director for East Asia and the Pacific, and Bjorn Andersson, UNFPA regional director for Asia and the Pacific

“…While the challenge of gender inequality isn’t new, there has been little data globally regarding its particular impact on children and adolescents. This lack of data has limited our understanding of the problem and our ability to develop effective policies and programs to address it. … If there’s little information available about access to contraception for unmarried girls, for example, how can health services and comprehensive sexuality education best meet their needs? … It’s important to acknowledge we cannot possibly understand the situation and needs of girls without reliable data, especially for the most vulnerable and marginalized. … Countries must invest in, and strengthen, data on gender-related disparities if they are serious about achieving the cross-cutting Sustainable Development Goals that underpin the 2030 Agenda — converting inequality into equality, and making ‘gender counts’ take on a whole new meaning altogether” (10/11).