In most countries, the voter registration process is a key stage to ensure the right to vote of all citizens, since being registered in the voter list is commonly considered as an eligibility criterion for voters. Making sure that women electors are well represented in the registration process can contribute to foster their participation. Although sex-disaggregated data on the composition of the voter list can help detect gaps and irregularities in voter registration, this sort of data are often unavailable. According to a research survey assessing gender equality in 35 EMBs, carried out by UN Women and UNDP between 2011 and 2012, only 50 percent of surveyed EMBs reported voter registration data by sex.[1]

Sex-disaggregated voter turnout data provides a clear indicator of women’s participation in the electoral process. In most countries, sex-disaggregated voter turnout statistics officially reported by election authorities are not available, partly because vote secrecy makes it hard for EMBs to collect such data. Although some countries, such as Australia, India or Costa Rica, do collect this sort of data, most EMBs do not assume this task.[2] According to UNDP and UN Women’s 2011-2012 survey, only 30 percent of surveyed EMBs reported gender-disaggregated data for voter turnouts.[3]