Gender-responsive budgeting in Austria: The narrow line between implementation and confirmation

IMPACTThe Austrian case emphasizes that Gender-Responsive Budgeting (GRB) is most successful if underpinned by legislation; however, overly detailed and rigorous guidelines might constrain advancements in the framework. This paper shows the ‘blank spots’ where GRB analyses were not undertaken, indicating the importance of formal checks and (independent) policy assessments to ensure meaningful analysis and planning of actions. Political support is crucial for diffusion; however, it is not a guarantee to fully exploit GRB’s potential. Finally, training strengthens the starting basis for implementation and needs to be extended in later periods of the implementation.ABSTRACTThe paper studies the adoption of Gender-Responsive Budgeting (GRB), drawing on Rogers’ model for the diffusion of innovations, for two major elements of the Austrian approach to GRB—regulatory gender impact assessments and gender aspects in audits—through document analyses. The study analyses the significant impact of the implementation context (such as the constitutional anchoring, the preparation plan, capacity building and methodological guidelines) on the results of the implementation. The research demonstrates that ‘implementation’ and the ultimate ‘confirmation’ of GRB vary across governmental sectors and successful meaningful application require complementary implementation activities.