The UN says that too many countries are failing women by conducting subpar census reports.

"The World's Women 2005, Progress in Statistics" reports that many developing countries are not keeping track of the the sex of those who are born, work and die.

"The whole goal of the improvement of the quality of life worldwide is dependent on knowing the situation of women, men, the elderly, infants," said Mary Chamie, chief of the U.N. demographics and social statistics branch.

"We need it for questions on globalization, for questions on trade, on understanding of economic production, education, ... getting vaccinated and for that matter, reproduction," she said in an interview. "It's like going to the doctor, but the doctor never examines us."

Read the report here.

Related report: Beijing Betrayed: Women Worldwide Report that Governments Have Failed to Turn the Platform into Action