gender mainstreaming pays particular attention to disseminating statistics in formats that are easily understood by a wide audience and making clear the limitations of data collected on the basis of concepts and methods that are not gendersensitive mainstreaming a gender perspective in national statistical systems requires political will at all levels not only in national statistical offices but also in the statistical services of other government agencies and in all institutions that provide administrative data united nations sensitizing and raising the awareness of both users and producers of data is critical in linking gender statistics to policies