MoSPI and UN Women Convene Conference on Gender Statistics on November 2, 2026

What happened

On November 2, 2026, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), in collaboration with UN Women, hosted a one-day National Conference on “Gender Data and Statistics: From Evidence to Policy Insights” in New Delhi ^[1][15]. The event brought together policymakers, central ministry representatives, state government officials, statisticians, researchers, and academic institutions to discuss strengthening the use of gender statistics for evidence-based policymaking ^[1].

The conference served as a platform to disseminate and deliberate on the findings ofWomen and Men in India 2025, a flagship publication by MoSPI ^[1]. The inaugural session featured key addresses from Ms. Shoko Ishikawa, Country Representative of UN Women India; Mr. Jean-Eric Paque, Ambassador of the European Union to India; Dr. Preetam B. Yashvant, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Women and Child Development; Dr. Dalip Singh, Director General (Central Statistics) at MoSPI; and Dr. Shamika Ravi, Member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister ^[1][15].

Why it matters

The event focused on translating collected gender-disaggregated figures into practical policy decisions across four thematic technical sessions ^[15]:

• Health and Survival:Acknowledged progress in maternal healthcare while addressing ongoing nutritional and adolescent health challenges ^[15].
• Education:Noted improvements in enrolment while identifying gaps in learning outcomes, STEM participation, and pathways to employment ^[15].
• Work and Wages:Highlighted rising female labour-force participation alongside persistent challenges in job quality, wage disparities, and unpaid care work ^[15].
• Livelihoods and Inclusion:Recognized growth in entrepreneurship and financial inclusion while emphasizing the need for improved credit access, market integration, safety, and agency ^[15].

Discussions and deliberations from the conference are intended to feed into future editions ofWomen and Men in India, particularly the 2026 edition, by encouraging tighter inter-ministerial coordination and sharper measurement of gender gaps ^[15][16].

What to watch

Observers and policymakers will monitor how insights from the conference and future statistical publications shape upcoming ministerial planning, particularly regarding employment quality, state-level gender analysis, and targeted welfare delivery frameworks ^[1][15].

Sources

1. National Conference on “Gender Data and Statistics: From Evidence to Policy Insights | MoSPI and UN Women: pib.gov.in
2. MoSPI and UN Women Hold National Conference on Gender Statistics gk24.in
3. National Conference on “Gender Data and Statistics: From Evidence to Policy Insights | MoSPI and UN Women - The NewsHour thenewshour.org