QUEZON CITY – The Institute for Labor Studies (ILS), through its Gender and Development Focal Point System (GFPS), strengthened its use of gender data in policymaking through a capacity-building workshop, titled “Training on the Collection and Integration of Gender Statistics in Labor Policy Research and Management of a GAD Database”.
The training held on 07 April in Quezon City, equipped researchers and staff with practical tools to improve the collection, analysis, and integration of gender statistics into labor and employment research.
Experts from UN Women Philippines, Ms. Nancy E. Parreño and Ms. Sigrid Jan Sibug, led the sessions, highlighting the importance of moving beyond sex-disaggregated data to better understand structural inequalities affecting workers.
In her opening remarks, ILS Executive Director III Jeanette T. Damo emphasized that gender statistics are key to designing more inclusive labor policies. “The collection and management of sex-disaggregated data and gender statistics are more than just numbers. They help us understand how women and men experience the labor market differently, identify where gaps remain, and guide us in improving policies so they become more inclusive, responsive, and equitable,” she said.
The first session, led by Ms. Sigrid Jan Sibug, introduced the core concepts of gender statistics, sex-disaggregated data (SDD), and gender indicators, highlighting their relevance to labor and employment policy research. “When we talk about gender statistics, it captures the dynamics among men, women and all genders and the different structures in the society— institutions, practices, and social norms—that shape expectations. Gender is essentially about social relations and a look on the power dynamics; it is relational,” she explained.
The second session, facilitated by Ms. Nancy E. Parreño, focused on key sources of gender data used in labor research, tackled data gaps, biases, and ethical considerations in gender research, emphasizing that how data is analyzed and presented can influence policy direction. “Data is not neutral. And I would put forward to this group that data is advocacy. Hindi s’ya neutral na kapag nag-present ka ng statistics ng babae at lalaki ay sapat na. The way you present it and the way you analyze it will point to certain biases — and sana ang bias ng researcher is for gender equality,” she emphasized.
Participants identified practical steps to strengthen gender mainstreaming, including improving data systems and integrating gender perspectives across research initiatives.
ILS is continuously working to institutionalize a Gender and Development database in line with national mandates and to support evidence-based, inclusive policymaking for Filipino workers.
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