Gender Responsive Budgeting
Background paper to the ERD2009
Author
Zohra Khan – Independent Consultant
Workshop/conference
Paper prepared for the Conference on “Financial markets, adverse shocks and policy responses in fragile countries”, organised by the European Report of Development in Accra, Ghana, 21-23 May, 2009.
Abstract
The 2009 ERD outline report indicates that fragile states are major recipients of aid, and, as such, must have the capacity to absorb aid. However, in order to make aid effective in addressing poverty and inequality, it is essential for donors and national governments to have a greater understanding of the specific challenges that women face. Gender responsive budgeting (GRB) is particularly important in the context of re-building and strengthening state institutions as it provides an important entry point for gender mainstreaming in the budget.
This paper argues that gender responsive budgeting has enormous potential for advancing gender equitable resource allocation in fragile states. By drawing on the experience of a few African countries, this paper argues that, with political will, technical skill and capacity, gender responsive budgeting can contribute to making aid more effective in fragile states.
