The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in the United States, recently announced that it will commit USD 80 million over three years to improve the availability and reliability of data on women and girls including: (i) how much time they spend on unpaid work; (ii) information on the efficacy of programs and other interventions; and (iii) how successful political leaders are in supporting gender equality.
Melinda Gates, CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation said: “By adopting the [United Nations] Sustainable Development Goals the world agreed to achieve gender equality by 2030. But we cannot close the gender gap without first closing the data gap. We simply don’t know enough about the barriers holding women and girls back, nor do we have sufficient information to track progress against the promises made to women and girls.”
The goals of the effort are to: (i) “Fill critical gender data gaps”; (ii) “Improve the accuracy and reliability of data collection”; (iii) “Equip decision makers with more timely and clearer evidence about programs and interventions that are working”; (iv) “Support civil society in holding leaders to account for the commitments they have made to women and girls”; (v) “Amplify and strengthen organizations and platforms”.
As of December 31, 2015, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has total assets of USD 40.4 billion and operations funded in approximately 100 countries.
By Kevin van den Brink, Research Associate
About The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Launched in 1994, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) is a US-based nonprofit organization that provides grants to organizations with the aim of enhancing health care, reducing poverty and expanding access to education and information technology. The foundation’s “Financial Services for the Poor” initiative focuses on providing people with secure places to save money. To support this initiative, the foundation works with financial organizations to increase access to technology and to forge partnerships among mobile phone companies, banks and microfinance institutions. As of December 31, 2015, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has total assets of USD 40.4 billion and operations funded in approximately 100 countries.
Sources and Additional Resources
[1] Gates Foundation, News, “Gates Foundation Announces 80 Million Dollar Commitment to Close Gender Data Gaps and Accelerate Progress for Women and Girls”
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