Minister of Women affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen has appealed to producers and users of statistics to ensure mainstream gender when presenting data for proper and strategic planning, in every sector.
The minister made the appeal at the opening of an ongoing 5-day Gender-based Violence Data-Indicator Harmonisation Workshop, for the National Strategic Knowledge Management Technical group, at the Sheraton Hotels, Ikeja Lagos.

She urged participants to focus on numbers in highlighting the real figures that would be easily understood by all.
Dame Tallen noted that global, regional and national initiatives aimed at promoting economic and social development in African countries recognize that women and men face different socio-economic challenges. These among other issues make the production of gender-specific data imperative in National planning processes.
“I want to appeal to all present that as producers and users of statistics, whether we are compiling labour market indicators, health statistics-Annual health report, annual education report, Population bulletins, Poverty survey; preparing statistical report; SDG report; human development; we must mainstream gender so that we can paint the clear picture of issues.
Tallen also stated that the journey towards building the harmonized database for harvesting credible gender-based violence data in the country began in May 2020.
According to her, the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 brought a major setback. However, through concerted efforts, with support from development partners especially the UNDP, the country has witnessed remarkable progress in the collection, collation and availability of Gender bases Violence, GBV, data from across the states through the deployment of innovative data management and visualisation platform.
Commending the Minister for a job well done so far on gender issues, Mrs Onyinye Ndubisi, Gender and Human Right UNDP/Spotlight Project Manager, opined that the indicator workshop would produce a national indicator for Nigerian women and girls.

“Data is very important as it gives insight into the true situation of issues. It allows to have accurate that is available, verifiable and valid. Indicators help to know what you are doing, where you are and where you are going. It will also help decision-makers to drive the girls and women agenda, and also tell their story accurately.”
Also speaking, Country Director, FRED, Rosemary Echewe, said indicator will help the country report facts and concrete data, noting that what is not documented is not done.
“This workshop presents a golden opportunity for us to support the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs to define the indicators under the Gender-based Violence programme as well as coordinate the systematic. At the end of the workshop, we will have concrete data that will be available, consistent verifiable and valid. It will no longer be I think but it will be documented and comprehensive.” She said.