Roles and responsibilities are clearly assigned across the government
SELF-ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS
- Have you identified institutions, mechanisms and coordination channels that will be responsible and held accountable for the realisation of government-wide gender equality and mainstreaming objectives?
- Are all affected institutions across the government aware of their roles and responsibilities for gender equality and mainstreaming, including of the resources required?
- Have you ensured that senior management in government institutions agree on gender equality and mainstreaming objectives and demonstrate a shared commitment for their implementation?
- Are political and administrative accountability structures in place (e.g., through objectives, rules and procedures) for implementation of governments gender equality and mainstreaming objectives?
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
To effectively implement a government vision and strategic plan for gender equality and mainstreaming, various institutions need to promote, produce knowledge on, implement, monitor and evaluate gender equality. This institutional framework generally consists of:
- Central gender equality institutions, which promote gender equality and facilitate the implementation of gender equality and mainstreaming programmes across government;
- The centre of government (e.g. Cabinet and the Ministry of Finance), which is responsible for promoting gender mainstreaming in government policies and ensuring that ministries comply with gender mainstreaming requirements;
- Line ministries and agencies, which are responsible for designing, implementing and reporting on gender mainstreaming in their policies and initiatives. Gender focal points and/or delivery units within line ministries can provide information on how laws or regulations are administered, data are collected, sectorial plans are developed and personnel are trained on gender-sensitive policies.
- Data-collecting and -producing bodies, which ensure that high-quality gender-disaggregated evidence is available to support decision-making;
- Accountability and oversight structures that encourage compliance with gender- equality policies, pinpoint deficiencies and redress remaining inequalities.
Robust co-ordination is needed to ensure policy coherence across bodies at all levels of government.
ACTIONS TO CONSIDER
- Responsibilities for gender equality policies are shared across the government and involve the highest possible level of government;
- Clearly define and widely disseminate requirements indicating the actors in charge of implementing gender equality-related tasks and mainstreaming policies, and which resources will be allocated for this purpose;
- Ensure centre of government is willing, tasked and equipped to promote gender mainstreaming across government and provide a challenge function to ministries who do not comply;
- Establish gender support mechanisms in line ministries and agencies to administer specific laws or regulations on gender equality, collect data, develop sectorial plans, training and gender-sensitive personnel policies;
- Ensure that decisions on the implementation of gender equality and mainstreaming strategies are made on the basis of gender-disaggregated evidence and data;
- Ensure leadership of coordination efforts and that an effective coordination mechanism for gender mainstreaming is in place;
- Introduce incentive/sanction systems to encourage institutions’ compliance to gender equality requirements.
PITFALLS TO AVOID
- Responsibility for gender equality policies are placed at low level of government or outside government;
- Government institutions’ mandates, authority, resources and mechanisms for executive functions are partially defined and insufficiently publicized leaving space for misinterpretation, overlapping, and for implementation gaps;
- Gender Equality Institutions and focal points/units are under-resourced and far from the apex of power;
- Gender Equality Programmes are under-resourced; Line ministries and government agencies work on gender equality in silos, with insufficient capacity, planning and accountability;
- Mainstreaming strategies are coordinated and supported at the national level, but not at the sub-national level;
- Lack of sanctions for institutions which do not comply to gender equality requirements/lack of incentives encouraging compliance;
- Lack of tailored gender expertise in policy areas targeted with mainstreaming strategies (i.e. gender in agriculture, gender in justice, etc.);
- Coordination mechanisms /efforts are fragmented and responsibilities reside in multiple institutions with risks of duplication, overlapping and missed opportunities.
COUNTRY EXAMPLES
Canada
In Canada, each federal department is responsible for incorporating the government’s commitment to gender equality within its substantive work and mandate. GBA+ is one of the key methods to that effect. Since 2016, Canada is undergoing a reform to further strengthen the role of Centre of Government (CoG) in monitoring gender based analysis+ (GBA+) in the development of government proposals. Centre of Government (CoG) can play an important role in clarifying what line ministries are expected to do to advance gender equality; developing clear, simple performance measurement and assessment frameworks; and removing obstacles to implementation.
The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat ensures that departments and agencies incorporate gender considerations, where appropriate, into the design of policies, programmes, initiatives and services. The different impacts on men and women are to be identified and addressed so that results are equitable. Status of Women Canada is leading the implementation of GBA+ and building the capacity of federal departments and agencies to incorporate GBA+ throughout the decision-making process. The House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women, created in 2004, has the broad authority to study policies, programmes, expenditures (budgetary estimates) and legislation of departments and agencies, including Status of Woman Canada. It also provides recommendations on matters and bills related to gender equality, including the implementation of GBA+.
In short, GBA+ is everyone’s responsibility. Although Status of Women Canada plays a leadership role in the government-wide implementation of GBA+, all departments and agencies share the commitment to GBA+. Through the systematic use of GBA+, federal officials are able to improve their work, ensuring that it includes diverse perspectives.
Source: Status of Women Canada, Gender-Based Analysis Plus, (accessed on 12 April 2017)
Austria
In Austria all ministries and supreme organs are involved in the mechanisms to implement gender equality. In the field of Gender-orientated Budgeting the Federal Chancellery’s role is to monitor, support and develop the methods, processes and results of the gender equality objectives and activities. Further stakeholders are leaders of the budget managing units of the supreme organs and ministries. They are responsible for the operational implementation of the elements of performance management, especially for the gender equality objectives and the concerning actions. The budget managing bodies are responsible externally in the context of total budgetary planning and execution for the outcome information on the level of budget chapters and global budgets to the Parliament. In addition, the Court of Auditors also acts as major stakeholder. Therefore, it is heavily involved in outcome and service evaluation as an independent agency of the Parliament. Every supreme organ and every ministry had to nominate an appointee for gender mainstreaming. Therefore, they obtain an important role concerning gender equality in the fields of performance management and regulatory impact assessment.
Source: Information provided by the Government of Austria
Sweden
Gender mainstreaming in the Government Offices of Sweden is guided by a government decision. A new government decision was taken in June 2016 for the time period 2016-2020. It states that gender mainstreaming is a prerequisite for feminist policies and for achieving the national objectives of gender equality policy. The new decision aims to further enhance and strengthen the work on gender mainstreaming in the Government Offices. Gender mainstreaming covers all policy areas and processes in the Government Offices. The aim is that all initiatives and measures taken by the Government contribute to gender equality. The Government highlights four key processes for gender mainstreaming in the Government Offices: the Budget Process, instructions for government authorities, the legislative process, such as terms of references for committees and bills, and EU-matters.
Every Minister in the Government is responsible for gender mainstreaming his or her areas of responsibility. The Minister for Gender Equality is responsible for coordination, development and follow-ups of the gender mainstreaming work. In addition, the Division of Gender Equality is responsible for managing and coordinating the gender mainstreaming work within the Government Offices. Since 2003, there is a gender mainstreaming coordinator within all line ministries with the Government offices of Sweden. A structured, systematic work with gender mainstreaming is conducted within all line ministries; every line ministry is to develop an Annual Action Plan for gender mainstreaming. This is the responsibility of the GM-coordinator/PoC for Gender Mainstreaming at each line ministry. The gender focal point is responsible for coordination and support of GM work in his/her ministry. This person is often also the Budget Officer of the line ministry. The focal point for gender mainstreaming attends meetings of a standing intra-ministerial working group on gender mainstreaming in the Government offices. All ten line ministries and the PM's Office has a Gender Mainstreaming Coordinator.
Source: Information provided by the Government of Sweden