This year, Kenya, one of our long-standing Inclusive Data Charter (IDC) Champions, are renewing and expanding their commitments to the IDC as they graduate from their first IDC action plan and launch the next phase. As the host of the upcoming Global Data Festival and Kenya Space Expo & Conference, Kenya brings more than convening power to the table. As an IDC Champion, they bring extensive experience and learning in piloting, implementing, and expanding practices on inclusive data, from advocating for disability data within censuses and surveys, institutionalizing inclusive data, piloting approaches to financing inclusive data, to collaborating with persons with disabilities as part of ongoing reporting and accountability mechanisms. Now, as Kenya prepares for the next stage of their inclusive data journey, they’re actively supporting other countries taking their first steps.
That spirit of peer learning is exactly what the IDC Champions' network was created for.
With the launch of the IDC’s seventh annual report, here are three inspiring examples of IDC Champions advancing inclusion in data and catalyzing action in a changing global context.
Malawi: Learning from those that came before
Malawi’s recent IDC workshop, supported by Sightsavers and Kenya, showed the value of experienced IDC Champions supporting new champions on the inclusive data journey. Hearing directly from Kenya about what it takes to institutionalize inclusive data, how to build and sustain political will, and where to start, provided the insights Malawi needed to develop an action plan built on experience. These learnings are supporting Malawi to develop an ambitious and strategic new action plan designed to ensure no child is overlooked.
Paraguay: Championing inclusive data to change institutions
Paraguay’s work to strengthen disability data across its national statistical system has done something beyond improving available data; it has prompted institutions to re-evaluate and look critically at their systems and processes. This demonstrates that when organizations understand the importance of inclusion of different groups in data, they change how they work to ensure that data informs more inclusive decisions and policies.
Argentina: Working with communities to design solutions that work
In Argentina, the municipality of Luján de Cuyo turned to citizens to help solve their water woes. As nearly 40% of the water supply was being lost to leaks and consumption was rising, the government invested in an innovative chatbot to collect citizen data, provide real-time data to residents, and strengthen climate resilience. The municipality is able to respond faster to leaks and infrastructure issues reported by citizens, and provide education and water-saving tips to reduce waste and empower citizens to engage in data and decision-making. The result is a model for how participatory data collection can effectively provide policy solutions and engage the community on issues that directly affect their lives.
The case for inclusive data is stronger than ever
These examples span disability, climate, and statistical systems — but they share a common thread: none of them would have been possible without intentional choices to collect, use, and act on inclusive data.
In these times of global uncertainty, limited resources, and funding constraints, it’s essential that inclusive data is prioritized, or we risk leaving behind vulnerable groups, already invisible in the data. Coming together to look at how we jointly advance data inclusion and tackle the barriers is more important than ever. As a network, IDC Champions focus on a diverse range of issues, including homelessness, street-connected children, internal displacement, and more. None of these issues can be adequately addressed without the collection and use of inclusive data to drive better evidence, resource allocation, and decision-making. The ongoing commitment of IDC Champions and partners shows us that this is not a moment to step back; inclusion isn’t something we can come back to later, it’s a foundational need.
Conversations at this year’s Global Data Festival and Kenya Space Expo & Conference will explore how to ensure data and technology can contribute to a more resilient, fair, and equitable future. We hope you’ll join us to hear more from our IDC Champions, participate in discussions on how we centre the needs and realities of people who are excluded from data, and share your own stories of how data can drive equity and inclusion.
Read the new Seven Years of the Inclusive Data Charter report here (available in English, Spanish, and French)
