Development Finance for Gender Equality
This dashboard presents key measures of development finance for gender equality by OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) members. Data is presented for individual DAC members and as a comparison, based on the OECD Creditor Reporting System, the DAC gender equality policy marker, and two dedicated purpose codes tracking support for women’s rights organisations and for ending violence against women and girls.
About
The members of the DAC are an important source of development finance for gender equality. The bulk of their funding is in the form of official development assistance (ODA), but they also provide other official flows (OOF).
DAC members can include gender equality objectives in their development finance either as the principal objective of projects and programmes, or as one significant objective among others.
A principal objective is when advancing gender equality is the main ambition of a project or programme. A significant objective is when gender equality is an important and deliberate objective, but not the main reason for undertaking a project or programme.
Using both approaches allows dedicating some interventions entirely to gender equality while at the same time integrating gender equality objectives across development programming.
Development interventions that do not include gender equality objectives risk perpetuating or even worsening gender inequalities.
Official development assistance (ODA) for gender equality over time
The volume of ODA that includes gender equality objectives is an important measure, but even more critical is the share of overall ODA that includes gender equality objectives. The share shows DAC members’ policy intention when providing their development finance.
ODA for gender equality by sectors
Gender equality objectives can be included under any policy area or sector. ODA data show the potential in sectors where more can be done to advance gender equality in parallel to other development objectives.
ODA for gender equality in partner countries
The share of ODA with gender equality objectives can vary by partner country. A closer look at the top 10 recipients of bilateral allocable ODA can reveal vital opportunities to increase the integration of gender equality in ODA.
ODA for women’s rights organisations
Many DAC members provide ODA to enhance the effectiveness, influence and sustainability of women’s rights organisations and movements, and government institutions.
Women’s rights organisations and feminist movements are essential actors to achieve transformative and sustainable change for gender equality. DAC members also support the sustainability and effectiveness of government institutions, including women's ministries, to work for gender equality. This support is tracked through a dedicated purpose code.
ODA to end violence against women and girls
Gender-based violence is a human rights violation and has profound economic and social implications. Sexual exploitation abuse and harassment (SEAH) also continues to be perpetuated globally in a systemic way. Support to end violence against women and girls is tracked through a dedicated purpose code, which is in place since 2016.
Gender equality in climate-related ODA
Women and girls are disproportionately affected by climate change, environmental degradation and biodiversity loss, yet they are also key agents of change in their communities. When climate action and gender equality efforts are pursued separately, their impact is limited. Development co-operation that integrates both climate and gender equality objectives can lead to more inclusive and effective sustainable development. This financing is tracked using the climate change (mitigation and adaptation) and the gender equality DAC policy markers.
Other official flows for gender equality over time
In addition to ODA, DAC members also include gender equality objectives into other official flows (OOFs). OOFs are official contributions that do not meet ODA eligibility criteria, either because they are not primarily aimed at development or because they are not sufficiently concessional.
OOFs with gender equality objectives include, for example, credit lines that promote access to finance for women-owned small and medium-sized enterprises.
Methodology
This dashboard provides the latest information on bilateral allocable official development assistance (ODA) and bilateral other official flows using data from the OECD Creditor Reporting System and the DAC Gender Equality Policy Marker.
USD are displayed in constant prices. Every year in April, constant prices are adjusted to the new reference year, therefore data are updated and may change slightly.
Commitments, rather than disbursements, are used in order to capture policy intentions at the design stage of activities.
Averages of two years are used to reduce volatility since commitments are recorded in full in the year they are made, even if multi-year, and irrespective of when they are disbursed.
Shares of ODA with gender equality objectives are calculated based on a denominator of ODA with gender equality policy marker scores 0, 1 and 2, and excludes ODA that was not screened/examined against the marker. This is done because most of DAC members’ ODA is screened against the marker. The DAC gender equality policy marker with the 0-1-2 scoring system has existed since 1997 and reporting is mandatory for the DAC.
For further details, see Handbook on the OECD-DAC Gender Equality Policy Marker.
