Strong Open Data Practices Support Gender-Inclusive Data in Uzbekistan
by the Open Data Watch Team
26 April 2024
From April 16th to 19th, 2024, Open Data Watch, led by our Open Data Manager, Jamison Henninger, engaged in a series of workshops focused on enhancing open data practices, with a special emphasis on gender-related information. These workshops, organized by the Statistics Agency of Uzbekistan, aimed to foster more inclusive decision-making processes within the country.
ODW‘s Open Data Manager, Jamison Henninger, presents to government representatives during series of workshops organized by the Statistics Agency of Uzbekistan.
One of the central events was the international seminar titled “Improving Open Gender Information towards Inclusive Management and Decision-Making in Uzbekistan”. Co-organized with the Committee on Women and Gender Equality of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis and the OSCE Project Co-ordinator, this seminar brought together various stakeholders, including government agencies, international organizations, and industry experts.
Simultaneously, another seminar took place at the Statistics Agency, facilitating in-depth discussions among agency employees and sectoral specialists. This session provided an opportunity for ODW to engage directly with Uzbekistan’s statistical professionals, addressing gaps identified in international rankings like the Open Data Inventory (ODIN) and Gender Data Compass, and discussing strategies to overcome them.
Colleagues from the Statistics Agency of Uzbekistan discuss their Open Data Inventory scores and identify areas for improvements.
Throughout these events, ODW contributed to the dialogue on various topics, including advancing the field of open data, enhancing Uzbekistan’s position in ODIN and other quality assessment indices, and elevating the quality of gender-related data. ODW shared insights into international best practices for integrating geospatial data into the Open Data Portal, contributing to the discussion with valuable perspectives from global experiences.
ODW highlighted three significant insights from our engagement in workshops with Uzbekistan that are crucial for a country’s successful implementation of open data initiatives:
- Collaboration across Ministries: Involving stakeholders beyond the national statistical office has been instrumental in driving success and expanding into new areas such as gender and geospatial data.
- Political Will and Leadership: Uzbekistan has demonstrated unwavering commitment at all levels to enhancing open data within their country, reflecting a strong leadership stance. The series of workshops, for example, received ample news and media coverage.
- Commitment to Continuous Improvement: Uzbekistan perceives their rankings not merely as scores but as opportunities for growth. They view the ODIN results and rankings as a roadmap for enhancing success in subsequent evaluations, displaying openness to learning and improvement.
ODW’s Open Data Manager, Jamison Henninger, offers recommendations for improving open data and gender data practices in Uzbekistan.
The inclusion of Open Data Watch in these seminars underscores the commitment of Uzbekistan to collaborate with leading international experts in advancing open data initiatives. The workshops offered an opportunity for facilitated knowledge exchange and provided Uzbekistan with valuable insights into global best practices, ultimately contributing to their journey towards more transparent and inclusive decision-making processes.
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please contact us at odin-input@opendatawatch.com
