Progress for Gender Data and Feminist Digital Inclusion at CSW67

March is busy season in global gender policy, and as we mark the conclusion of another jam-packed, productive month, it’s worth celebrating not only the initiatives launched, commitments made, and in-person reunions had—but also the political will we collectively drove for gender equality.

In my corner of the world, that’s meant working to influence U.N. missions negotiating during the 67th Commission on the Status of Women, which just reached agreed conclusions on technological change for gender equality last week.

Every annual set of agreed conclusions establishes enabling global norms and standards for gender equality, but this year’s were particularly important, marking the start of a wider global policy program on digital inclusion in the year ahead. And in the digital era, focusing on gender data—and investment in the systems that produce it—can mitigate threats, expand digital literacy and access, and drive accountability, all critical factors for gender-just development.

So how did data fare in these agreed conclusions? This year, missions:

• Inserted first-time language on the power of digital gender data to fill knowledge gaps (a topic we at Data2X have long championed!);
• Retained historic text emphasizing the importance of individual ownership over personal data (re-writing a colonial narrative of extraction and encouraging the redistribution of power over data to women, girls, and gender-diverse people—something my colleagues Bapu Vaitla , Neeraja Penumetcha and a host of other brilliant partners are working to further develop);
• Emphasized the importance of building an evidence base to inform policy on technology-facilitated GBV (an emerging issue that was top of mind for many during CSW67); and
• Inserted language on the importance of using gender data at all points of the policy process (a necessary step toward evidence-informed, effective policymaking for women, girls, and gender-diverse people worldwide).

There’s still work to be done, especially when it comes to mainstreaming the importance of adequate financing and ensuring the representation of LGBTIQ folks in data. But as consultations on the UN’s Global Digital Compact begin this year—and the midpoint moment of both the Sustainable Development Goals and Generation Equality converge this September—member states have taken a critical first step toward championing the data we need for more inclusive digital development, driven by the feminist principles of inclusion and intersectionality.

This article was authored by Natalie Cleveland, Advocacy and Policy Manager with Data2X. You can connect with Natalie on Twitter and LinkedIn.