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ECA’s African Centre for Women (ACW), the division responsible for influencing gender mainstreaming policy and programmes within the region, has, for the first time, produced a CD-ROM. This first CD-ROM provides sectoral and other statistical data that help to show the current status of women in Africa, in view of globalization and the technological development in information and communication that Africa cannot afford to ignore. The new millennium rekindles hope for Africa’s emergence from decades of crises to a renaissance that not only places her in the ranks of others around the globe but also promises that Africa is the continent of the future. Africa is entering an important period of its history, with the resurgence of democracy and economic recovery requiring mobilization of all its energy. To participate in this collective endeavour, ACW has initiated a process for sharpening its tools for collecting and disseminating information on African women. Performing the role of coordinating and promoting gender equality in the region, ECA has to-date facilitated the creation of structures and increased awareness at various levels with the intention of advancing the role and status of women in Africa. The focus has been on establishing a baseline for monitoring and evaluating the progress African countries are making in implementing the Beijing and Dakar Platforms for Action (PFA). The production of the CD-ROM is a follow up on the very well received country brochures on the status of women launched at the Fortieth Anniversary Conference on African Women and Economic Development held in Addis Ababa in 1998. It is expected that the CD-ROM will serve as a convenient and reliable tool for access, analysis and dissemination of essential data on the status of women in Africa. The CD-ROM contents are based on data collected from a variety of published sources. The ACW data protocol presented has been compiled from available and comparable data that can be systematically revisited and updated. There can be no successful African development policy or genuine economic recovery without pursuing a strategy to bridge the existing information gap and providing regular gender-disaggregated data (GDD) to inform development policy-makers. No meaningful assessment of progress made since Beijing can be done without statistical evidence and this CD-ROM hopes to serve as an assessment tool in that regard. Comprehensive, accurate, up-to-date, timely and reliable data are central to effective policy formulation, design, development and implementation of programmes and projects for the advancement of women. The absence of data per se and of disagreggrated data in particular poses great problems of utilizing available data for meaningful policy decision-making or design, and for development and implementation of programmes and projects that serve to hasten the achievement of gender equality. It is envisaged that the portrayal of the weaknesses in the collection, recording and dissemination of data will stimulate concerted efforts to rectify the situation. It is also hoped that existing gaps will be closed as regional data that are emanating and being utilized in the region are harmonized. The CD-ROM should also serve as a planning tool, indicating where gender gaps exist in one country and where other countries have been able to fill similar gaps. The CD-ROM has demonstrated the urgency for recognizing and valuing women's contribution to economic growth and development in Africa. The unpaid work performed by 70% of the labour force in Africa (mainly women, particularly in agriculture, energy, transport, food processing and provision, and social reproduction) remains unaccounted for, thus remaining alienated from economic growth considerations. It results in low levels of savings and investments essential for economic growth. The policy process required is to collect and analyse GDD and record them correctly for dissemination and use in planning and budget allocations. GDD will enhance the recognition and promotion of women's contribution to economic growth and development in Africa. It will be a guiding tool in ECA’s efforts to carry out advocacy and influence policy adjustments for the collection, maintenance and utilization of GDD. This electronic tool will assist not only ECA but also its member States, to improve data management for monitoring and evaluating implementation of the Dakar and Beijing Platforms for Action in all the12 critical areas of concern. To reach a wider audience, the contents of the CD-ROM will also be available on the ECA/ACW web page and in book form. It is hoped that the audience will find this work useful. Constructive observations are indeed welcome. The comments will be taken into account in the preparation of the second edition. K. Y. Amoako
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