Budgeting for Gender and Equity

Introduction

The Budget is the most important development instrument that Government use to transform the economy and wellbeing of its people including the women, people with disabilities, elderly, children, and other vulnerable groups. However, women and men have got different potentials on how to access the benefits and outcomes of the public budget. It is therefore very critical that when government is preparing its national budget, the planning and budget process is inclusive, participatory and gender responsive. Gender budgeting allows fiscal authorities to structure tax and spending policies and/or public financial management in ways that can promote equality.

CSBAG Intervention: 

CSBAG gender and equity budget advocacy has over the years focused on the following areas

1. CSBAG mobilize citizens at the local Government level to ensure that service delivery is responsive to the needs of the different groups. The practice of mobilizing women, strengthening their capacities to engage in the planning and budgeting processes at Local Government has enabled them to take up an active role in society to demand for quality service delivery and engage duty bearers for equitable resource allocation. See story on the practice of making women central in budget making process
2. CSBAG monitors and promotes the implementation of the Certificate Gender and Equity Certificate as required by the PFMA (2015). The PFMA requires MoFPED in consultation with the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) to assess budget of all MDAs and issues certificate of compliance before submission of Budget Estimates to Parliament.

·         Quick Facts About Government Adherence To CGE FY 2017/18

·         Fact Sheet for ICT  Compliance to the Gender& Equity Compacts FY2018/19-FY2019/20

·         Fact Sheet for JLOS Compliance to the Gender& Equity Compacts FY2018/19-FY2019/20

·         Fact Sheet for Public Service Sector Compliance to the Gender & Equity Compacts FY2018/19-FY2019/20

·         Fact Sheet For Health Sector Compliance to the Gender & Equity Compacts FY2018/19 & FY2019/20

·         Quick Facts About Government Adherence To CGE FY 2017/18

3. CSBAG is a member to the Gender and Equity taskforce chaired by the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development. The taskforce oversees implementation operationalization of the gender and equity certification process. Other members include Equal Opportunities Commission, Office of the Prime Minister, Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Ministry of Local Government, National Planning Authority, Ministry of Education and Sports, Ministry of Health, and the Parliament of Uganda. Some of the research CSBAG has produced to guide the taskforce can be accessed via the links

·         Financing Trends for Violence Against Women and Girls and Harmful Practices in Uganda

·         Financing Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights in Uganda

·         GBV Financing Trends in Kaberamaido District FY 2015/16-FY2019/20

·         Planning and Budgeting Reference Tool Gender Based Violence Prevention and Response Programs in Uganda

4. Advocacy for gender and equity responsive budgets Working with its members, CSBAG engages the Government budget process to ensure that resource allocation is gender and equity responsive. Some of the Gender specific position paper can be accessed here.

·         CSO Gender and Equity Concerns for Consideration in Implementation of FY2021/22 National Budget

·         What Parliament of Uganda Should Consider on Financing Gender Based Violence Interventions in FY 2021/22 Budget

·         Position Paper on Gender and Equity Issues and Interventions for FY 2021/22

5. Engendering the Government COVID-19 response Plan: With the COVID-19 pandemic, many Governments put up measure to control the spread of the virus and these affected different groups disproportionately. CSBAG started engaging Government of Uganda to adopt gender inclusive strategies in its COVID-19 response measures.  Some of the guiding policy papers containing key policy measures for government to adopt can be accessed:

·         Engendering the Fiscal stimulus packages to respond to COVID-19 effects in Uganda policy paper June 2020

·         Who is Missing Out on Government of Uganda’s COVID-9 Relief Fund?

·         What the Second COVID-19 Supplementary Budget should consider in Uganda

6. Key CSBAG initiatives Promoting Citizen-Generated Data (CGD) for evidence-based policy and inclusive development include:

·        Establishing an Interim Technical Working Group in 2024 and a CSO TWG for CGD coordination in 2023 (with 12 participating CSOs);

·        Building CSO capacity in CGD collection and utilization since 2023 in collaboration with UN Women.

·        Creating the Gender Research Data Hub (GERDH), a central repository for gender equality and women’s empowerment data among CSOs, with plans for online accessibility.

·        Partnering with USDC and ISER to conduct a CGD study on inclusive education that revealed gaps in infrastructure, teacher training and assistive devices. See USER’S GUIDE TO COLLECTING CITIZEN GENERATED DATA FOR SDG 4, TARGET 4.5. This was presented at the High-Level Political Forum side event; and

·        Contributing to the integration of CGD into Uganda’s national development planning framework to ensure gender and equity concerns are reflected in national planning and budgeting

7. WHOM WE WORKED WITH

8. OUR WORK IN MEDIA

• Harnessing citizen-generated data for inclusive education via