Gender responsive policies and budgets on local level



 

Capacity development of local administrations to implement Gender responsive policies and budgets

 

As part of UN Women’s mandate to support countries in fulfilling their commitments on gender equality, a regional project aiming to promote the implementation of gender responsive budgeting has been set up in Southeast Europe covering Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Macedonia and Moldova.

 

The component of the regional projectin the Republic of Macedonia will be implemented in 10 pilot municipalities with focus on strengthening local mechanisms and capacities for responding to gender equality commitments and obligations under the Law on Equal Opportunities of Women and Men. The aim of the regional project is to support local authorities in fulfilling their gender equality commitments by developing their capacities to mainstream gender in local program planning and budgeting processes. It is designed to meet the existing lack of expertise within municipalities to work on these issues. The project also encourages subregional cooperation, promotes an exchange of practices and knowledge in relation to gender responsive budgeting.

 

To further develop the intervention, ZELS has started a project to provide additional support to municipalities in fulfilling their commitments on gender equality, especially adapted to address the lack of resources and knowhow on Gender Responsive Budgeting.

 

Through this intervention ZELS will support and contribute to some of the following activities foreseen with the UN Women Regional Project:

  • Training and mentoring of staff working in the municipalities on gender responsive planning and budgeting
  • Providing inputs to gender analyses of sectorial programs and budgets in municipalities, including providing support to collect gender statistics,
  • Providing inputs and contributing to the UN Women Global website on Gender responsive budgeting,
  • Promoting an exchange of experiences and best practices of gender responsive budgeting in municipalities on national and regional level
  • Participating in study visits to other European cities that successfully have implemented gender equality polices
  • Support the dissemination of relevant resources and tools to municipalities in the Republic of Macedonia

 

The mid-term goal of the project is to establish a network of municipal staff and experts on gender responsive budgeting with the capacities to respond to the requirements from national and regional level.

 

The long term goal is to continue supporting exchange of knowledge on gender responsive budgeting and be able to disseminate and learn from good practices.

 

To provide additional support, ZELS is planning to set up an on-line platform on gender responsive budgeting, as a part of the ZELS website. The platforms will compile and upload existing tools and material, news, reports and other relevant resources on Gender Equality and gender responsive budgeting to facilitate an exchange and transfer of knowledge.  This tool also aims to increase awareness on gender equality issues at all levels of municipalities; administrative as well as in decision making.

 


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