In the bustling broadcast room of Tumbatu FM in Zanzibar, Juma Haji Juma knows that his voice carries weight, but he also knows that his voice alone is not enough to dismantle centuries of silence. For Juma, a radio presenter at this community-driven station, the turning point in his advocacy against gender-based violence (GBV) came not from a script, but from a spreadsheet. In 2024, his station began a groundbreaking monthly segment dedicated to airing hard statistics on reported GBV cases in the local area. “We share the data because it is so important,” Juma explains, reflecting on the shift in his community’s consciousness. “When news is backed by data, it carries more weight—and encourages people to find the right solutions.”
This philosophy—that what is measured can be managed—lies at the heart of a global movement to close the “gender data gap.” For decades, policymakers and international aid organizations have operated in a vacuum, often lacking the specific, disaggregated data necessary to understand how women and girls experience the world differently from men. While hard evidence is typically the first thing a decision-maker requests before approving a budget or a law, it is paradoxically often the last thing that receives investment. UN Women, through its ambitious Women Count programme, has set out to flip this script. Since 2016, with an investment exceeding USD 80 million, the initiative has demonstrated that gender data is not just an academic exercise; it is a catalyst for life-saving interventions and systemic legal reform.
The impact of this data-centric approach is being felt from the flooded riverbanks of Nairobi to the corporate boardrooms of Georgia. By fostering a culture where data production meets real-world demand, UN Women is helping to build sustainable, long-term solutions in areas where evidence has historically been scarce: economic empowerment, humanitarian response, and environmental resilience.
### Breaking the Silence in Zanzibar
In the United Republic of Tanzania, the power of data is manifesting as a shield for the vulnerable. Before Tumbatu FM and other stations like the youth-led Kati Radio began broadcasting monthly statistics—provided by UN Women and the Zanzibar Office of the Chief Government Statistician—violence against women and girls was often shrouded in cultural norms that discouraged public discussion. The introduction of local statistics has acted as a form of “social proof,” demystifying the prevalence of abuse and signaling to survivors that they are not alone.
Amina Mohamed, a presenter at Kati Radio, notes that their programming goes beyond the numbers. By hosting expert interviews and taking live calls, they address the misconceptions that allow violence to persist. “This helps demystify gender-based violence and gives people the confidence to speak out,” she says. The results are quantifiable. According to the Zanzibar Police, 1,809 cases were reported in 2024, representing a 28 per cent increase compared to 2020. This surge is viewed by experts not as an increase in violence itself, but as a significant increase in the reporting of existing violence—a crucial step toward justice.
For regular listeners like Fatma Haji Silima, the data provided a roadmap. “Before, I didn’t know where to report cases of violence,” she admits. “Now, I have the information and confidence to help others in my community do the same.” These localized data points are now feeding into Tanzania’s National Plan of Action to End Violence against Women and Children, allowing authorities to establish specialized police gender desks and one-stop centers where survivors can access health services, counseling, and legal aid simultaneously.
### Precision Relief in the Wake of Disaster
The necessity of gender-sensitive data becomes a matter of life and death during humanitarian crises. On April 23, 2024, the Mathare River in Nairobi, Kenya, burst its banks, a catastrophic event that swept away homes and lives in the middle of the night. Isabella Nzioki, a Community Health Promoter, was among those jolted awake by the screams of her neighbors. In the chaos that followed, Nzioki reached for a tool she had recently mastered: gender-disaggregated data collection.
Just one month prior, Nzioki had attended a training session organized by UN Women and GROOTS-Kenya. As she moved through the disaster zone, she didn’t just count survivors; she recorded the specific needs of 81 individuals, 64 of whom were women. By identifying pregnant and lactating women, as well as those with specific medical needs, her data allowed the Kenya Red Cross to bypass generic aid and provide targeted relief.
“I was so impressed with how these disaggregated data helped to bridge gaps between survivors and humanitarian agencies,” Nzioki says. Because of her meticulous recording, the government and NGOs were able to efficiently distribute water treatment kits, mobile clinic services, and financial assistance to those most at risk of falling through the cracks. This “citizen gender data” approach ensures that women, who often face unique risks during displacement, are no longer invisible in the aftermath of a disaster.
### Reimagining the Modern Father in Georgia
While data saves lives in emergencies, it also reshapes the fabric of daily life and labor. In Georgia, UN Women’s national Time-Use Survey revealed a stark reality regarding the division of unpaid care work. The findings were a wake-up call for TBC Bank, one of the country’s major employers. Between 2021 and 2022, the bank realized that not a single male employee had taken paternity leave, despite the benefit being available.
Armed with this data, the bank introduced mandatory gender equality training. It was during one of these sessions that 34-year-old Avtandil Tsereteli realized the impact his presence could have on his family’s future. When his son Alexandre was born, Tsereteli chose to take paternity leave, allowing his wife to continue her professional career. “It was one of the most significant decisions I will ever make,” he reflects.
The shift at TBC Bank is part of a larger legislative movement. Supported by UN Women, Georgia’s Civil Service Bureau has developed amendments to include non-transferable paternity leave for public sector employees. By using data to highlight the “care gap,” Georgia is successfully challenging the stereotype that domestic responsibilities belong solely to women, fostering a more equitable workforce and stronger family bonds.
### Climate Resilience in the Pacific
In the Kingdom of Tonga, data is being used to fight an existential threat: climate change. The landmark 2022 Gender and Environment Survey (GES) provided a harrowing look at the intersection of gender and natural disasters. The survey found that 93 per cent of respondents had experienced three or more disasters in a single year, but more importantly, it revealed that women were disproportionately affected by the loss of food security and the subsequent spike in unpaid domestic labor following environmental shocks.
The findings of the GES have triggered a massive policy overhaul. The Ministry of Finance used the data to revise the 2024 budget, and the National Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality Policy was updated to reflect the specific vulnerabilities of women in the face of cyclones and rising sea levels. Anna Jane Lagi, of Tonga’s Women’s Affairs and Gender Equality Division, explains that this data allows for better coordination during emergencies. “We are seeing what can be triggered during times of emergency, and what the needs are, so we can better coordinate ourselves,” she says.
Tonga’s commitment to data-driven climate action reached the global stage at COP28, where the Minister of Finance presented the survey findings as a blueprint for gender-responsive environmental policy. It served as a testament to the idea that small island nations can lead the world in sophisticated, evidence-based resilience strategies.
### A Global Mandate for Change
The success stories from Zanzibar, Kenya, Georgia, and Tonga are the fruits of the Women Count programme’s second phase, currently supported by the governments of Australia, France, Ireland, Italy, and Sweden, alongside the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. As the programme prepares to enter its third phase in 2026, the goal is to move from localized impact to global systemic change.
For 15 years, UN Women has operated on the front lines of the fight for equality, proving that progress is not a matter of chance, but a matter of choice—specifically, the choice to invest in the visibility of women and girls. In a world increasingly driven by algorithms and big data, ensuring that gender is a primary variable is the only way to ensure that the future is equitable.
This is a pivotal moment for global advocates. The work of UN Women demonstrates that when we count women, we make women count. With the continued support of international partners and local leaders like Isabella Nzioki and Juma Haji Juma, the transition from data to impact is not just possible—it is already happening. Now is the time to stand with these efforts, to protect the progress made, and to deliver the true change that only accurate, compassionate, and rigorous data can provide. We are experienced enough to deliver, and bold enough to transform.
