Highlights

Gender-sensitive budgeting: the signing of a memorandum

12/07/2010
Gender-sensitive budgeting: the signing of a memorandum

The Minister of Economy and Finance, Mr. Salaheddine Mezouar and the representative of the United Nations Development Fund for Women-UNIFEM, Mrs. Zineb Benjelloun-Touimi, signed Monday, July 12th 2010 a memorandum of Agreement for the implementation of the third phase of the Gender-sensitive budgeting.  In his speech, the Minister pointed to the need to further encourage the Gender sensitive Budgeting. He claimed that this step, which follows the High guidance of His Majesty the King Mohamed VI, meets the requirements of economic equity and women`s social issues and role in society.

For that purpose, Mr. Mezouar appreciated the significant results achieved since the launch of the project and the quality of the developed tools for the gender report image, now attached to the Finance Act

Finally, the Minister declared his commitment to reinforce this process.

For her part, Mrs. Zineb Benjelloun-Touimi welcomed the progress achieved and stressed that the main concern of Gender sensitive Budgeting is not only equality, but fiscal efficiency as well.

"The development of the UNIFEM-MEF partnership made Morocco at the forefront of this field which granted it a pioneer status at the international level," she maintained.

In his speech, the Director of Studies and Financial Forecasts, Mr Mohamed Chafiki, stressed that the experience of Gender sensitive Budgeting in Morocco achieved a significant degree of maturity at the international level. For Mr.Chafiki, the Minister`s commitment is symbolically important as a political support to this project.

The signing of this memorandum confirms and reinforces today an existing partnership since 2003 between the Ministry of Economy and Finance and UNIFEM, allowing Morocco to be a pioneer of Gender sensitive Budgeting process at the international level.

This international recognition highlights the significant achievements realized during the first two project phases. The Gender Report which undertakes a gender analysis of sectoral public policies accompanies the finance bill. Tools and methodologies were also developed and a process of capacity development was initiated for the effective consideration of gender equality in five sectoral departments` programs and budgets.


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Moreover, the performed studies took into account the gender issue in the identification of people`s needs as well as in the development policies formulation process. This processing which allowed the Moroccan experience to be at the forefront internationally was modelled so that it can be beneficial to other sectoral departments and more broadly to all countries wishing to be involved in the Gender Sensitive Budgeting process.

The aim from signing this Memorandum of Understanding to implement the third phase of the Gender Sensitive Budgeting Program is consolidating these results and deepening the MEF / UNIFEM partnership.

The UNIFEM main program on gender sensitive budgeting allows several countries including Morocco to further their efforts through a third phase which, in case of Morocco, will aim to bringing the genderisation of its budget to completion . To achieve this ambitious target, many projects are waiting for investment.

First of all, the Gender Report, now institutionalized, provides important opportunities in terms of cross-sectoral analysis to gender- sensitive public policies. The genderised public policies and sectoral budgets will need special effort to speed up the rate and engage irreversibility mechanisms.

The setting up of a Gender Sensitive Budgeting (BSG) Centre of Excellence is an ambitious attempt that will allow an exchange of experience and best practices across countries speaking French, Arabic and other languages in the BSG field. Emerging problems will finally be invested, such as the use of the Gender Sensitive Budgeting as a key tool for effective development assistance.

The Ministry of Economy and Finance`s and of the UNIFEM`s commitment to Gender Sensitive Budgeting aims to contribute to national efforts for sustainable and equitable human development in Morocco. The Moroccan government confirms and reinforces its commitment to the implementation of the Gender Sensitive Budgeting.

Being pillar of results-based fiscal reform, the Gender Sensitive Budgeting makes it possible to link the need for equality through a better consideration by public action of men and women, girls and boys differentiated needs at budget efficiency through a better targeting of public resources.