The primary objective of the manual is to foster a gender perspective in national statistics. Recognising that systematic integration of gender in regular statistical activities is still missing in many countries, the manual has been designed to guide a sustainable development of gender statistics. The manual provides concrete information needed to accomplish three main goals: (a) achieve a comprehensive coverage of gender issues in data production activities; (b) incorporate a gender perspective into the design of surveys or censuses, by taking into account gender issues and gender-biases in measurement; and (c) improve data analysis and data presentation and deliver gender statistics in a format easy to use by policy makers and planners.