This report presents and analyses statistics on the status of the people of the Cook Islands. This report looks at statistical data and indicators, and research and reports about the Cook Islands, and analyses these in terms of social and economic differences between women and men. It provides the information required to develop and review policies that address the possible different impacts of policies or programmes and laws on women and men. This will then help ensure that the planned outcomes — as designed and implemented — are equal for all Cook Islanders. Sustainable social and economic growth and development is only possible if both women and men are fully involved and benefit equally.

This report does not contain all of the information required to fully assess the situation of the people of the Cook Islands. For example, it was not possible to obtain sex-disaggregated data about health, crime and justice when this report was drafted. Some information — for example, about access to and control over resources such as land and housing, or access to credit — is not readily available. These statistics will be compiled and reported on in the monitoring and evaluation framework for gender mainstreaming from 2015.

The report has been written for policy-makers and planners in the Cook Islands, to support policy review and development, and future monitoring and evaluation. The statistical data and indicators used are part of a broad framework of gender statistics being promoted in the Pacific Islands region by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC). The Gender and Development Division in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, with help from the Cook Islands Statistics Office (CISO) in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Management, will continue to update the statistical indicators used in this report and make the information available to analysts and researchers.