A delegation of the Romanian Court of Accounts participated this week in the International Meeting of Women Presidents of Supreme Audit Institutions of the EU and Ukraine, held in Madrid, an event which tackled gender equality policies, the role of women in decision-making positions and the contribution of public audit to strengthening European democracy.
According to a release sent to AGERPRES, the delegation was led by Counselor of Accounts Claudia Boghicevici and the event was carried out between 12 and 13 January.
"The meeting, which was organized by the Spanish Court of Auditors and the Portuguese Court of Auditors, represented a framework for institutional dialogue and exchange of good practices between supreme audit institutions, with an emphasis on integrating the gender perspective in the audit activity, as well as on the responsibility and commitment of SAIs in promoting good governance and strengthening the citizens' confidence in the state institutions," the release mentioned.
According to the quoted source, within the talks, the current developments and challenges regarding gender equality were analysed, with a highlight on the fact that, although the progresses recorded over the past decades are significant, they still remain uneven among member states and require a constant institutional commitment.
"Equal opportunities continue to represent a structural challenge, including in areas such as public administration and healthcare, while violence against women remains, in all its forms, a serious reality that demands a firm, coordinated and effective response from public authorities. Preventing and combating this phenomenon remains a major priority on the agenda of the European Supreme Audit Institutions," the statement added.
The meeting in Madrid provided a space for cooperation and mutual learning, within which relevant national experiences on integrating a gender perspective into audits and recommendations to national authorities were presented and discussed, including addressing pay gaps, implementing the institutional framework for preventing and combating violence against women, promoting work-life balance, using emerging technologies with a human-centric focus, as well as the development of mentoring networks and female leadership, the institution mentioned.
The discussions also highlighted "the essential role of Supreme Audit Institutions in assessing the impact of public funds on gender and equal opportunities, as well as the importance of observing the principles of independence, rigour and professionalism in carrying out the audit mandate."
"The presence of women in decision-making positions was addressed as a key factor in strengthening democracy, enhancing institutional legitimacy and bringing public administration closer to the citizens. In this context, Ukraine's participation in the meeting was integrated into the discussions regarding the defence of European democratic values, reaffirming the solidarity of the European community and a firm commitment to democracy, freedom, human rights and observance of international law, as a foundation for institutional cooperation at the European level," the release added.
According to the quoted source, the participation of the Romanian Court of Accounts in this meeting reflects the institution's commitment to actively contributing to the European dialogue on good governance, equal opportunities and strengthening institutional capacity.
"In this regard, during the past year, the Romanian Court of Accounts launched a performance audit on the use of public resources allocated for preventing and combating violence against women and femicide, as well as the degree of compliance with Romania's international and European obligations, an initiative which is part of the institution's efforts to audit the implementation of public policies that are effective and aligned with European democratic values," the institution mentioned.
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