In YAOUNDÉ, Cameroon, African governments, development partners and statistical experts have renewed calls for stronger investment in gender and child statistics, stressing that reliable data is essential for designing policies that improve the lives of women, children and vulnerable communities across the continent.
The commitment was reaffirmed at the close of the first African Forum on Gender and Child Statistics (AGCSF 2026) in Yaoundé on 10 July, where participants agreed that quality, disaggregated and harmonised data is key to ensuring that no one is left behind in Africa’s development journey.
The five-day forum, hosted by Cameroon, marked a continental first and was organised by the African Development Bank Group, the African Union Commission, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), UN Women and UNICEF, in partnership with Cameroon’s National Institute of Statistics (INS). It brought together government officials, national statisticians, researchers, civil society organisations, development partners and private sector representatives under the theme, “Statistics that matter: Rights, justice and opportunities for all.”
Away from technical discussions, participants highlighted the human impact of better statistics. They noted that accurate data helps governments identify underserved communities, allocate resources more fairly and measure whether investments in education, healthcare, social protection and economic empowerment are reaching those who need them most.
To the millions of African women and children, particularly those living in rural communities, informal settlements and conflict-affected areas, being counted can mean greater access to schools, maternal healthcare, birth registration, social welfare programmes and economic opportunities. Without reliable statistics, many vulnerable populations remain invisible in national planning and budgeting processes.
Opening the forum, INS Director-General Joseph Tedou described quality data as the foundation of inclusive governance and equitable development. “There can be no inclusive development, no social justice and no equality of opportunity without reliable data“, he said, warning that populations not reflected in official statistics often remain excluded from public investment and protection.
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