2026-01-14
Recently, Auditor General Irena Segalovičienė and Head of the Communications and International Relations Department Lina Nuobarienė participated in the International Meeting of Women Heads of Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) held in Madrid, Spain.
At a high-level meeting, the women heads of the SAIs of the European Union and Ukraine discussed the importance of gender equality for modern SAI governance and public sector activities, as well as the contribution of women's leadership to the quality of decisions, resilience, and strengthening public trust.
During the event, the heads of the SAIs shared their experiences and views on the implementation of gender equality principles, presented the values of equality promoted in their institutions, and discussed the specific measures applied. They discussed the integration of gender equality issues into audits, as well as the aspiration to increase the application of gender equality principles in audits.
In her speech, Auditor General Irena Segalovičienė emphasized that gender diversity in audit institutions is not a formal, symbolic, or self-evident issue—it is an essential condition for the proper impact of audits and the quality of modern governance. Gender balance in leadership helps avoid a one-sided approach, strengthens resilience, and helps audits become not just a compliance assessment tool, but a tool that creates real value for people. The Auditor General proposed ideas for a mentoring and experience-sharing club to strengthen women's leadership internationally.
The meeting also discussed the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in auditing. It was emphasized that the accuracy of AI is ensured by diverse teams that are better able to identify biases programmed into algorithms, which is why gender equality is particularly important in this field.
"Gender equality becomes significant not when we count the ratio of men to women, but when the principles of equality have a positive impact on the decision-making process of institutions and are applied in audits. Diversity in leadership allows us to see the bigger picture and strengthens trust in the public sector," said the Auditor General.
At the first meeting of this kind, a Declaration was signed to continue this format as a permanent platform for dialogue and cooperation, dedicated to women's leadership, exchange of experience, and strengthening gender equality in auditing.
In the European Union and Ukraine, 11 of the 28 supreme audit institutions are headed by women. These are the SAIs of Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Lithuania, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Ukraine. Most of the heads of these institutions attended the meeting in Madrid alongside the head of the Lithuanian SAI.
Participation of women representatives of the National Audit Office in this meeting reflects the National Audit Office's desire to strengthen audits that have a real impact on society, where leadership is understood as responsibility and auditing as a means of strengthening the public interest and trust in the state.