Advancing Women’s Leadership in Supreme Audit Institutions: A Breakthrough Initiative Between the Tribunal de Contas da União (Brazil) and UNDP Multi-Country South-South Cooperation Programme in Portuguese-Speaking Countries

For over 15 years, one of the longest-standing partnerships between UNDP and the European Union has been driving gender equality and women’s empowerment in public governance. Through the Pro PALOP-TL PFM Programme, co-financed by the EU, this initiative has focused on strengthening economic governance and public finance management across Portuguese-speaking countries. A key pillar of this effort has been promoting women’s leadership in decision-making roles.

Women’s leadership has consistently proven to be a catalyst for change—advancing gender-responsive budgeting, fostering inclusive policies, and ensuring accountability. Among the flagship initiatives under this partnership is the Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions, which is already being implemented in Ministries of Finance and related institutions in Cape Verde and Timor-Leste.

A Strategic Alliance for Women Auditors

The collaboration between Pro PALOP-TL and Brazil’s Tribunal de Contas da União (TCU) marks a significant step forward in boosting the leadership of women auditors across Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) through the PROINTER initiative. As highlighted by Minister Benjamin Zymler, Secretary-General of the Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (ISC/CPLP):

“Our continued partnership with Pro PALOP-TL through three editions of the PROINTER programme for women in SAIs has enabled our SAIs to promote gender equity through concrete institutional breakthroughs, such as adherence to the Gender Seal for Public Institutions and the ongoing Coordinated Performance Audit on Gender-Based Violence.”

From 2023 to 2025 PROINTER has reached more than 39 SAIs across AFROSAI-E (English-speaking African SAIs), CPLP (Portuguese-speaking SAIs), and OLACEFS (Latin American and Caribbean SAIs), all actively participating in PROINTER. The third edition of PROINTER concluded in October 2025 with an in-person segment hosted by AFROSAI-E’s Secretary General, bringing together leaders committed to advancing gender equality in public oversight.

Promoting women’s leadership in SAIs is not just about representation—it’s about transforming governance systems to be more inclusive, transparent, and accountable. By leveraging South-South cooperation and strategic partnerships, this initiative is setting a global benchmark for gender-responsive public institutions.

“When Gender Equality becomes something to trade or quantify, its transformative power is lost. Parity becomes a box to tick, rather than transformational This is why women in leadership must go beyond parity as a Human Right and reclaim it as a tool of transformation: one that shifts the balance of Power and redefines the very structure that perpetuates exclusion (of women).”

Cristina Duarte, Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser of the United Nations Secretary-General on Africa, during the closing session.