'This toolkit has been designed to improve the way that parliaments around the world advance gender equality and to be models to the communities they represent. The toolkit should help parliaments wishing to evaluate how gendersensitive they are, assess their current practices and policies, identify possible areas for reform, plan for change, and establish mechanisms to monitor progress. .The toolkit draws on IPU’s extensive experience in supporting national parliaments on gender-sensitive reform work. It proposes sets of questions to be tailored to each national context. They are designed to lead to open, constructive discussions. The intention is not to rank parliaments. It is rather to help them identify their strengths and weaknesses in order to determine priorities for strengthening the institution.'
This report presents statistics and analysis on the status of women and men in the world, highlighting the current situation and changes over time. Analyses are based mainly on statistics from international and national statistical agencies. The report covers several broad policy areas – population and families, health, education, work, power and decision-making, violence against women, environment and poverty.
'Gender statistics are defined as statistics that adequately reflect differences and inequalities in the situation of women and men in all areas of life (United Nations, 2006).'