6. NSW Government commitment to gender responsive budgeting

The NSW Government is committed to gender responsive budgeting. Gender responsive budgeting helps ensure government decision making and resource allocation considers the impacts of policies and programs on everyone. 

This Budget initiates implementation of gender responsive budgeting through gender impact assessments, which examine the intended or unintended gendered impacts of a proposal. This enables gender equality considerations to be embedded into policy design and ultimately resource allocation.

Gender impact assessments also apply an intersectional lens. They consider how all forms of a person’s identity intersect with gender, including First Nations identity, cultural background, sexual orientation, age, disability, and location. 

As part of this Budget, gender impact assessments were conducted on selected proposals across a range of policy areas, including transport, climate change, skills, domestic violence, homelessness and health. Case studies of some of these gender impact assessments have been included throughout the Statement.

Overall, the gender impact assessments found that policy decisions are not inherently gender-neutral. Policy choices may positively support gender equality outcomes or inadvertently have negative impacts or unforeseen barriers. Conducting gender impact assessments supported agencies to identify ways to mitigate any potential negative gendered impacts. 

As gender impact assessments are integrated in the budget process, the NSW Government will be better equipped to make informed decisions to support gender equality.

Supporting gender equality through the public sector

Another tool the NSW Government is applying to embed gender equality is the introduction of Gender Equality Action Plans (GEAPs) across the public sector.

NSW Government departments will develop GEAPs to actively champion gender equality when developing and improving policies, programs, services, and legislation.

GEAPs also require agencies to consider how they can support gender equality internally within their organisation. Increasing diversity and gender representation in the public sector workforce so that it is more reflective of the NSW community has the potential to deliver better government services for the people of NSW.