Gender Responsive Budgeting and inclusive development

What is Gender-Responsive Budgeting (GRB)?

The United Nations Women's Organization defines Gender-Responsive Budgeting (GRB) as a strategic approach that ensures budgets cater to everyone's needs, promoting fair resource distribution. Traditional economic models and budgets often overlook gendered differences in needs and preferences, leading to biased fiscal policies.

GRB is not a budgeting approach that prioritizes funding for women only. Nor does it focus solely on reducing gender disparities in income. Instead, GRB is a strategy that considers the different needs and priorities of all genders. It also serves as an entry point to factor in intersectionalities related to race, age, disability, etc., when analyzing who benefits from public programs. Using a gendered lens, the GRB process helps governments assess how policy directives and resource allocations can perpetuate inequalities and allows citizens to hold the government accountable for meeting its obligations.

The process of gender-responsive budgeting involves evaluating government budgets to understand their effects on different genders and societal roles. It aims to modify these budgets to meet gender equality goals. This process includes scrutinizing how funds are sourced and utilized, addressing unpaid care work, and ensuring that the allocation of resources satisfies the practical and strategic requirements of all genders. The success of GRB relies on the active participation of civil society, strong political will, and the availability of gender-specific data.

Isn't resource allocation, be it a national or project budget/policy, beneficial for everyone?

Theoretically, the quick assumption is that policy and budget processes that do not consider their effects on each gender (i.e., they are gender-neutral) result in positive impacts for all in society. However, this is not the case in practice. For example, according to The African Women's Development and Communications Network, the Kenyan Government prioritized regressive tax policies in the proposed National Financial Bill 2024 that disproportionately affect women and girls. The introduction of consumption taxes on essential goods worsens the situation for unpaid-carers, particularly those caring for families struggling to make ends meet, impacting economically disadvantaged families, including rural women and those in informal urban settlements.

The proposed financial policies in Kenya, designed without a gender perspective, serve as an example of how such changes may neglect the specific healthcare needs of women, leading to insufficient funding for priorities like maternal health services. Additionally, educational policies that do not consider gender disparities may result in fewer resources allocated to support girls' education, perpetuating cycles of poverty and limiting opportunities for women. By ignoring these gender-specific impacts, gender-neutral policies fail to address the unique challenges of each individual, resulting in resource allocation that is neither fair nor effective. GRB seeks to address these disparities by ensuring that budgetary decisions are gender-responsive.

Advocacy campaign against fiscal reforms in Kenya (Feminists in Kenya, 2024) 

Why is Gender-Responsive Budgeting relevant now, more than ever?

a.) Global economic crises- The ongoing global economic crises highlight the critical need for GRB to ensure inclusive recovery and sustainable growth. The Global Economic Prospects - June 2024 report by the World Bank highlights that with global growth stabilizing yet remaining below historical norms, high inflation and elevated interest rates continue to impact emerging markets and developing economies such as Argentina, Nigeria, and Pakistan. Public investment efficiency and comprehensive fiscal reforms are paramount, and GRB can enhance these efforts by ensuring equitable resource allocation. b.) Achieving gender parity- Despite some progress, the world remains far from achieving gender parity. According to the World Economic Forum's 2024 Global Gender Gap Report, it will take another 134 years to close the global gender gap at the current rate of progress. The report reveals that only 68.5% of the global gender gap has been closed, with significant disparities remaining in economic participation and political empowerment. GRB can accelerate progress by ensuring that resources are allocated in ways that directly address these disparities. c.) Super election year- The year 2024 has been nicknamed ‘The Super Election Year,” with many countries like Ghana, Romania, Tunisia, UK, and US gearing up for elections. This presents a unique opportunity to influence policy agendas and integrate GRB into national priorities. These countries' citizens should be actively scrutinizing the manifestos and commitments of candidates and political parties regarding gender equality. By advocating for GRB, voters, and policymakers can ensure that elected officials prioritize gender-sensitive policies and resource allocations.

Image depicting citizens voting at a polling station

Way forward

 

Gender-responsive budgeting (GRB) presents a transformative approach to policy formulation, ensuring that resources are allocated equitably and effectively to address the diverse needs of all genders. 

Key steps essential to advance GRB include: i.) Strong political commitment to gender equality by integrating GRB into national and local budget processes. This requires building institutional capacities through training and technical support to ensure that all levels of government can effectively implement GRB. For instance, Sweden and Canada have demonstrated strong political will by integrating gender considerations into their budgetary processes, resulting in more equitable resource allocation and improved gender equality outcomes. ii.) Reliable, gender-disaggregated data is crucial for informed decision-making and evaluating how different policies and budgets impact each gender, leading to more targeted and effective interventions. iii.) Active engagement of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and public participation in budget-making to provide insights, advocate for gender-responsive policies, and hold governments accountable. For example, the Kenyan youth's engagement and participation were pivotal in reviewing the country's Financial Bill for 2024. Similarly, South Africa has seen success by establishing partnerships between the government, CSOs, and the public, enhancing the transparency and inclusiveness of the budgeting process. iv.) Intersectional Approach to GRB to not only consider gender but also other intersecting factors such as race, age, disability, and socioeconomic status. By adopting an intersectional lens, policymakers can address the complex nature of inequality, ensuring that no group is left behind. By learning from these best practices and continuously refining their approaches to address the root causes of inequality, countries can effectively implement GRB to promote more inclusive and equitable development.

Written by Khadija Saidi