Guidelines for Producing Statistics on Asset Ownership from a Gender Perspective

Abstract

This publication provides national statistical agencies with guidance on collecting, processing, analysing and disseminating individual-level data on asset ownership (including dwellings, land and financial assets) for the production of gender statistics related to three objectives: 1) measuring the gender asset gap, or the differential prevalence of women’s and men’s asset ownership; 2) measuring the gender wealth gap, or the share of total wealth held by women; and 3) in households where more than one member is interviewed, understanding how asset ownership and wealth are distributed, by sex, within households. The publication introduces the concepts, definitions and data requirements for measuring asset ownership and control from a gender perspective and provides guidance on planning, organizing and implementing a household survey, or appending a module on asset ownership to a nationally-representative household survey. It also presents a set of indicators for monitoring women’s and men’s ownership and control of physical and financial assets at global and national levels, and it explains how data analysis can be employed to answer policy-relevant questions on asset ownership.