Launched on May 12th 2008 by the Ministry of Economy and Finance with the support of United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), the workshops on the result-based and gender-sensitive budget reform continued on May 20th and 21st and focused on the case of the Department of Economy and Finance.
Some fifteen executives and managers in charge of budget planning and programming in top level and network departments within the MEF, joined in a training experience for two days, and had the opportunity to interactively use the approach aimed at integrating gender in budget preparation and analysis. |  |
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Starting from existing practices within the MEF, the components of its budget and strategic action plan, participants came to recognize the relevance of integrating the concept of gender, a concept yet to be taken into account in programmes appertaining to the Ministry`s budget, in the detailed spending appendices, and in figures and indicators. Participants also agreed upon the necessity to institutionalize the integration of gender.
Three programmes have been earmarked for participants to continue their work. This work will be completed and finalized in July 2008 in a second workshop devoted to finalizing and implementing the main budget reform instruments, and especially the preparation of gender-sensitive performance indicators designed to measure the impact of action plans of ministerial departments involved, with the prospect of the preparation of the 2009 Finance Bill.
The workshop held on May 20th and 21st 2008 was an opportunity to clarify concepts relating to the gender approach, and provide an update on progress made through the gender-sensitive budgeting programme, implemented by the MEF with the support of UNIFEM, and piloted by three departments of the ministry: the DEPF, the DB, and the DAAG.