More than 15 civil society organizations (CSOs) have come together to form new group called the Civil Society Collaborative on Inclusive COVID-19 Data, launched today.
With COVID-19 pushing up to 150 million people into extreme poverty by the end of 2021, the urgency to understand and meet the needs of the world’s most marginalized people has never been greater. But the true scale of the pandemic’s effects is obscured by data gaps.
This new group will work collectively with marginalized communities and activists to understand the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and advocate for a recovery that is inclusive. Members of the group will combine their data-driven insights to create a more intersectional understanding of the pandemic’s effects.
An equitable recovery from COVID-19 requires better data on the lives of marginalized people, collected with their knowledge, consent, and participation.
Who are the members?
The collaborative is led by a Steering Group, involving Action Aid (Denmark), Christian Aid, Development Initiatives, Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data, International Civil Society Centre, Plan International, Restless Development, and Sightsavers.
What happens next?
The collaborative will work with communities and activists to develop a data-driven report and advocacy campaign, launching in July this year at the United Nations High Level Political Forum.
Alongside new insights on the effects of COVID-19, the report will highlight CSOs and citizens’ learnings on inclusive and participatory data collection methods, and offer recommendations for improving collaboration and coordination between official data producers, civil society, and citizens.
The collaborative is an open platform for civil society, communities, and activists. If you would like to learn more about the group, please contact Kate Richards, Inclusive Data Charter Outreach Manager at the Global Partnership for Sustainable Data.