1South Africa

Gender Issues and the Production of Labour Statistics

Yandiswa MpetsheniSouth Africa

2South Africa

Contents

• Background

• Gender gaps in labour statistics

• Addressing gender gaps

• Challenges

3South Africa

• A gender unit established in 1999

• Time use survey conducted

• Publication on women and men in South Africa done

• Collaborated with ILO a publication on women and men in the informal economy (2002)

• Analysis of all household based surveys by sex

Background to gender statistics

4South Africa

Gender unit was dissolved and resulted in the following:

– No advocacy for gender issues in labour stats

– Analysis done by sex but does not cover issues relating to understanding gender differences.

Gender gaps in labour stats

5South Africa

• Work done in combination with domestic chores

• Looking after children and the elderly/sick

• Work carried out intermittently over the year

• Total hours worked including domestic chores

Gender gaps in labour stats ctd

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• Need to conduct a time use survey on regular basis

• TUS to be a supplement of the LFS – to be driven by user demand

• Need to do more gender based analysis and not analysis of key indicators by sex

• Need to revive the gender unit

Addressing gender gaps

7South Africa

• LFS not best vehicle for measurement of gender issues

• Stats SA priorities in view of limited resources – cannot fund a dedicated survey

• Educating policy makers on the importance of funding a gender focused survey eg.TUS

Challenges

8South Africa

Thank You

Website: www.statssa.gov.za