1.1 Million Women
Over more than a decade, that's how many women Â鶹´«Ã½AV has interviewed worldwide about their daily lives -- as well as their hopes for themselves, their families and their world.
Their answers remove a lot of the guesswork into just how close -- or far -- the world is from reaching its goal of achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls.
How Many Women Does It Take to Survey the World?
About 4,000.
Women actually make up a majority of the interviewers who conduct Â鶹´«Ã½AV's face-to-face and telephone surveys in more than 150 countries each year.
Because International Women's Day on March 8 celebrates the courage and determination of ordinary women playing extraordinary roles in their countries and communities, Â鶹´«Ã½AV interviewed a number of women who carry out our research in every corner of the globe. We asked them why they do the work they do, what their biggest challenges are, and what it is like to interview women in their countries.
Female Interviewers in Africa Rely on Courage, Adaptability
"Fieldwork and its challenges have made me a stronger woman."
-- Female interviewer in Madagascar
Women Respond Without Fear in Latin America
"I identify with them. Many times, we have the same concerns and problems. The women in Ecuador respond without fear and with honesty."
-- Female interviewer in Ecuador
Women in Europe: Free to Speak, but Not Always Heard
"That's what I do it for. To bring out the best answers in them to make a difference about issues that affect us all -- present and future generations."
-- Female interviewer in France
Giving Communities a Voice in Central Asia
"I do this work to be the voice of the community, to bring their voice to the public."
-- Female interviewer in Kyrgyzstan
Survey Work Gives Lebanese Woman Her Life Back
"People differ by their gender, age, and education, but I do not find a difference between one person and the other. All are equal; they are all humans."
-- Female interviewer in Lebanon
Gaining Insights Into Women's Lives in Asia
"I feel the data that I collect help create an understanding of how people in my country think and feel about their life, the place they live in, and the exposure they have to the outside world."
-- Female interviewer in Nepal