Turkish Statistical Institute and UN Women strengthen cooperation

A letter exchange ceremony between UN Women and the Turkish Statistical Institute (TURKSTAT) was held on February 24, 2025. The exchange of letters between Elisa Fernandez Saenz, Deputy Regional Director of the UN Women Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia, and Dr. Erhan Çetinkaya, President of TURKSTAT, marked a significant step toward enhancing statistics that contribute to women's empowerment. This strategic partnership aims to promote the production and use of gender-sensitive data, thereby establishing a robust data foundation for policymakers.

Dr. Erhan Çetinkaya emphasized the great significance of the upcoming UN Statistical Commission Meeting and the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) Meeting, which will be held consecutively in New York in March 2025. He also highlighted that the “Women in Statistics” report, to be published by TURKSTAT in line with the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration, will include a special section outlining Türkiye’s progress in gender equality. Additionally, he stated that an infographic document visually presenting key gender statistics, prepared in collaboration with UN Women, will be released as part of the “Women in Statistics” bulletin on March 6, 2025.

Dr. Çetinkaya further noted that TURKSTAT continues its efforts to improve gender-sensitive data collection and analysis processes. Within this scope, the Active Life Index and Gender Equality Index have been successfully developed using data from the Household Labour Force Survey and the Income and Living Conditions Survey. Moreover, he announced that the results of the Türkiye Women and Family Survey, completed as of January 31, 2025, will be made public through a press bulletin at the end of May 2025.

Elisa Fernandez Saenz, Deputy Regional Director of the UN Women Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia, underlined that gender-sensitive statistics are a critical tool for policymakers. She emphasized that this joint initiative with TURKSTAT would make a significant contribution to the development of policies that promote gender equality.

The collaboration between TURKSTAT and UN Women will continue to support data-driven decision-making processes and ensure the sustainability of efforts to develop policies that improve the lives of women and girls.