Presentation given at the OECD Gender Budgeting Experts Meeting, Vienna, Austria. 18-19 June 2018 For more information see http://www.oecd.org/gov/budgeting/gender-budgeting-experts-meeting-2018.htm

1. 1
GENDER BUDGETING IN ICELAND
ICELAND
Experience and Challenges
Vienna 18th of June 2018, Halldóra Friðjónsdóttir
GenderBudgeting:
Where justice and
fairness go
hand in hand with
economic wellbeing

2. 2
Starts in 2009
THE PROCESS IN ICELAND
2
Pilot projects
Results in the budget
statement
Steering committee
appointed
Bigger projects
Bigger policy areas
Results in every year
budget statement
Integration
Part of the budget
cycle
Policy making
Legally binding

3. 3
– NEW ORGANIC BUDGET LAW (JANUARY 1ST 2016)
Article 18
Gender budgeting and equality
The Minister, in consultation with the minister responsible for
gender equality, leads the formulation of a gender budgeting
programme, which shall be taken into account in the drafting of
the Budget Bill.The Budget Bill shall outline its effects on gender
equality targets.

4. 4
OBL
» 34 Expenditure/income areas
• On average 3-5 expenditure functions under each area, 101
in total
» Each minister formulates and submits at least five year policy
for these areas
» The policy sets out targets, including quality and service
targets, and explains how these will be achieved
» Towards Performance Budgeting
» GB is now more goal orientated

5. 5
GENDER BUDGETING CYCLE
Jan-Feb
March-
April
May-
June
July-
August
Sept-
Oct.
Nov-
Des.
Five year
rolling plan
for GB
Part of the
Fiscal
Strategy Plan
Annual report
from Ministers
Budget bill
Annual plan for GB
Report on Gender
Budgeting

6. 6
» 5.Tax, asset and financial administration
» 9. Public and legal safety
» 11.Transport and telecommunication
» 14.Tourism
» 18. Art and culture
» 21. Higher education
» 25. Nursing care and rehabilitation services
» 27. Disability and disabled people
» 28. Elderly population
» 29. Families
EXPENDITURE AREAS
6

7. 7
» Important to have data and preferably knowledge based on
findings from projects/case studies
» It‘s more obvious that we need our gender glasses in areas
such as “families” than “transport and telecommunications”
but the gender perspective is needed in both
» If we want gender budgeting to have impact the gender
perspective has to be part of the decision making. Doing an
analysis afterwards does not lead to a change.
WHYTHOSE AREAS ANDWHAT DIDWE LEARN?

8. 8
» Use of domestic flight in Iceland
• Women use it to visit friends and family, for health reasons
or to go to theater or other cultural events
• Men use it mainly for business
Is transport an important factor when it comes to choosing
where to live?
AN EXAMPLE -TRANSPORT

9. 9
NEXTYEARS
» Linking Performance-based Budgeting and Gender
Budgeting
» Specific gender equality target for each function that has
medium or major affect on women and men/boys and girls
» Improving the design of existing and new policies, programs
and projects to make them more inclusive and gender
responsive

10. 10
CHALLENGES
» Too many, both inside ministries and in politics, believe that
the budget bill is gender neutral
» Although gender budgeting is legally binding there is limited
interest in using it in some ministries
» Political support is volatile 
» We need to educate and inform!
» External pressure and scrutiny from academia and feminist
activists helps!

11. 11
www.fjr.is | twitter.com/MoFIceland
Thank you 