A one-day National Conference on “Gender Data and Statistics: From Evidence to Policy Insights” was organised by Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) in collaboration with UN Women on 2nd November, 2026 in New Delhi. The conference brought together policymakers, representatives from Central Ministries/Departments and State Governments, statisticians, researchers, academic institutions, technical experts and representatives of UN agencies to deliberate on strengthening the analysis and use of gender statistics for evidence-based policymaking.
The conference was organised to deliberate on and disseminate the findings of Women and Men in India 2025, a flagship publication of MoSPI, with the aim of deepening the understanding of key findings and their interlinkages across sectors, facilitating discussions among ministries and other stakeholders, and identifying opportunities to strengthen the analytical and policy use of gender statistics.
The conference commenced with a welcome address by Ms. Shoko Ishikawa, Country Representative, UN Women India, who emphasised the importance of gender-disaggregated data and bridging the gap between data producers and users. Mr. Jean-Eric Paque, Ambassador of the European Union (EU) to India, highlighted the EU–India Strategic Partnership in advancing gender equality and women’s economic participation. Dr. Preetam B. Yashvant, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development, also addressed the gathering, followed by Dr. Dalip Singh, Director General (Central Statistics), MoSPI, who emphasised identifying gender gaps to inform evidence-based policies. Dr. Shamika Ravi, Member, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, highlighted progress in welfare delivery and women’s financial empowerment, while stressing the need for improved employment quality, state-level analysis and stronger gender statistics to guide policy reforms. The inaugural session concluded with a vote of thanks by Ms. Supriya Roy, Additional Director General, MoSPI, who acknowledged the contributions of speakers, participants and UN Women.
The conference featured four thematic technical sessions, focusing on health and survival across the life course; girls’ education, learning and transition; women’s work, wages, formality and care; and women’s livelihoods, enterprises, skills and financial inclusion. The sessions brought together experts, policymakers and practitioners to examine key findings from Women and Men in India 2025, identify differences in outcomes between women and men, and explore opportunities for translating statistical evidence into actionable policy insights.
Discussions on health and survival recognised progress in maternal healthcare and essential health services, while highlighting nutritional and adolescent health challenges. The session on girls’ education, learning and transition noted improvements in enrolment, while emphasising gaps in learning outcomes, STEM participation and employment pathways.
Deliberations on women’s work, wages, formality and care acknowledged rising female labour-force participation, while highlighting challenges in job quality, wage disparities and unpaid care work. The session on women’s livelihoods, enterprises, skills and financial inclusion recognised progress in entrepreneurship and financial inclusion, while stressing the need for better access to credit, markets and sustainable livelihoods, alongside women’s agency and safety.
During the valedictory session, Ms. Suhela Khan, Country Programme Manager, Women’s Economic Empowerment, UN Women India, and Ms. Geeta Singh Rathore, Director General (NSS), MoSPI, highlighted the need to address persistent gender disparities in health, education and economic participation, with particular emphasis on quality of employment, unpaid care work and financial inclusion. The discussions also provided valuable inputs for future editions of Women and Men in India, particularly the 2026 edition, underscoring the importance of improved measurement of gender gaps, strengthened inter-ministerial coordination and evidence-based policymaking. The conference concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Ms. Sunitha Bhaskar, Additional Director General, MoSPI.
The conference concluded by reaffirming the importance of strengthening India's gender statistical ecosystem and fostering continued collaboration among government institutions, statistical agencies, researchers and development partners. It underscored the need to translate gender-disaggregated data into meaningful policy insights to support inclusive development and advancing gender equality.