Gender analysis is a process of conducting research, interrogating data and considering the different ways a policy may impact people based on gender. It is a tool for:

• identifying and analysing the impacts and risks of policies to gender equality, and considering options to improve the impacts and mitigate risk,
• ensuring policies address the needs of all people and support an equitable, prosperous, cohesive and inclusive society,
• identifying options that both meet the primary goals of the policy and help advance gender equality,
• providing decision makers evidence-based information on who a policy impacts, how it impacts them and how these impacts affect gender equality.

The importance of gender analysis

Gender analysis provides transparency to decision makers on the gendered impacts of a policy so that government can make informed decisions on investment and resource allocation to address gender gaps and drive improvements for gender equality.

Whether a policy supports or hinders gender equality may not be immediately obvious. Before assuming a policy is ‘gender-neutral’, it is important to undertake gender analysis to determine whether the proposal directly or indirectly impacts gender equality, and if so, if the impacts are positive or negative.

Without gender analysis, policy changes may have disproportionate or different impacts on people because of their gender. For example, a reform to the taxation system may appear to apply to all taxpayers in the same way, but gender analysis may find differential impacts based on considerations such as gender, occupation and carer status.

This Guide helps policy makers undertake gender analysis to identify differing impacts and unintended consequences, including those that can inadvertently lead to discrimination and exacerbate inequality. Where a policy will have a negative impact on gender equality, gender analysis can help policy makers identify risk mitigations. For example, if a large amount of funding is being provided to a male-dominated workforce and risks reinforcing inequalities like the gender pay gap, there may be opportunity to boost women’s participation as part of the policy. Gender analysis can also help policy makers design a policy that delivers positive impacts for gender equality, even where there was previously an assumption of ‘gender neutrality’.