Understanding gender responsive budgeting
From healthcare to education, policies and programs affect genders differently.
Understanding systemic biases and how people move and function differently in society allows us to better tailor the programs and services we provide to all Victorians.
Gender responsive budgeting looks at decisions about spending to:
- Identify how investments in areas like health, education, transport and social services affect different groups.
- Focus resources on the people who need them the most and those who experience existing inequalities.
- Ensure new projects and programs benefit the whole community.
This doesn’t mean we’re creating separate budgets for women and men. Gender responsive budgeting tackles gender equality by reducing bias in all policy and funding decisions.
It means we’re making smarter – and fairer – decisions by understanding the different ways people use and benefit from government investment.
Building on best practice
Gender responsive budgeting is being increasingly adopted around the world to shape policies and improve gender equality. The number of OECD countries practising gender budgeting has almost doubled in recent years, from 35% in 2016 to over 60% in 2022.
In 2020, Victoria became the first jurisdiction in Australia to enshrine public sector gender equality laws through the Gender Equality Act 2020, a landmark step in breaking down discrimination and gender barriers in the workplace.
The Victorian Government then further embedded its commitment to gender equality by building gender responsive budgeting into legislation.
By ensuring that every Victorian – regardless of gender – is at the heart of our decision‑making, we’re building a stronger, fairer future for all.
Every Victorian budget must now include a statement about gender equality, and the Treasurer can also request Gender Impact Assessments for any matter concerning the Financial Management Act 1994. This puts gender equality at the centre of sound financial management.
These two pieces of legislation are historic firsts for Australia.
Gender responsive budgeting is a powerful tool for shaping investments that have real world outcomes for gender equality, through policies, programs and projects that work better for all Victorians.
We are proud to continue our work on gender equality, as we continue to expand on the advancements of the last decade.
We have had a chance to share the insights we have developed at Women Deliver – one of the largest gender equality conferences in the world. Held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre in April, it allowed Victorian experts to share our best practice – and learn from other jurisdictions.
A fairer Victoria. For every Victorian.
The Victorian Government knows that equality is non‑negotiable.
Through the Victorian Budget 2026/27, we continue to invest in gender equality. We will do so by continuing the Joan Kirner Leadership Program that promotes the participation, leadership and recognition of women.
In 2023, Our equal state – Victoria’s roadmap for action and investment in gender equality – recognised that gender inequality exists alongside other forms of discrimination, such as homophobia, transphobia, racism and ableism.
So we are also investing $19 million to strengthen the health, wellbeing and community connectedness of vulnerable cohorts.
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