INTOSAI Development Initiative

Supporting effective, accountable and inclusive Supreme Audit Institutions

Cross-cutting Priority: Inclusiveness and Gender

IDI pictures a world where Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) are gender-responsive, leave no one behind and benefit everyone.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its pledge to “leave no one behind” is IDI’s guiding framework to take action with Supreme Audit Institutions. In working on inclusiveness as an organisation and in IDI’s work with SAIs, IDI takes into account different factors that can leave people and their institutions behind. These can include discrimination, geography, socio-economic status and Governance.

IDI Gender Logo

IDI's Gender Policy

The IDI Gender Policy serves as high-level document to guide IDI’s work. It is closely linked to the IDI Gender Strategy and a multi-annual Gender Action Plan focussing on strategic priorities and how to implement them.

IDI's Gender Strategy

Through IDI’s Strategic Plan 2019-2023, IDI is committed to placing a particular focus on integrating a gender perspective throughout IDI as an organisation and across its portfolio. IDI’s Gender Strategy spells out our ambition to continuously step up IDI’s engagement on gender and our enhanced commitment to support gender-responsive SAIs.

SAIs are key oversight bodies that can play an important role in enhancing gender equality through their audit work. For instance, they can strengthen state-society relations, democracy and service delivery through their audits and reports on the implementation of national gender laws, regulations, policies and international conventions. Goal 5 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) strives to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. SDG 5 and all other SDGs serve as important basis for SAI engagement and thus for IDI.

Following IDI’s Gender Strategy, integrating a gender perspective cuts across the 2019-2023 Strategic Plan and means:

  • Supporting SAIs to be gender-responsive organisations and to conduct audits that contribute to gender equality.
  • IDI leading by example as a gender-responsive organisation
Infographic showing how IDI Gender Policy influences IDI Gender Strategy and IDI Gender Action Plan.

IDI Advocating for Gender & Inclusiveness

Launch of IDI’s Gender Report “Towards greater gender equality in and through SAIs – opportunities for SAIs and support providers” on 10 December 2021. The report is an annex to the Global SAI Stocktaking Report 2020

In March 2021, IDI, together with UN Women and the International Budget Partnership, hosted a side event during the 65th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. Discussions focussed on the barriers women confront in public finance institutions, including Supreme Audit Institutions, and the steps that need to be taken to enable greater gender parity in the leadership of these institutions.

At INCOSAI XXIII in September 2019, IDI led a panel discussion on the subject of SAIs and gender equality. Panelists discussed the benefits and challenges of integrating a gender-based approach to the work of SAIs. 

IDI News on Inclusiveness and Gender