Parliamentary staff receive expert support from OSCE Mission to Montenegro in preparing budget circulars from gender perspective

How to draft a gender responsive budget was the focus of a two-day workshop for staff of parliamentary committees and units, organized by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro on 15 and 16 May in Podgorica.

Two Mission-engaged local experts provided hands-on support to 20 parliamentary staff helping them understand the essence of gender responsive budgeting and how to incorporate it into budget circulars. Through practical examples, the participants learnt how the needs of women and men could be equally reflected in budget, through developing a gender-responsive analysis, identifying gender inequality and defining gender-responsive goals, indicators and target values.

Opening the workshop, Siv-Katrine Leirtroe, Deputy Head of Mission said that gender-responsive budgeting is essential both for gender and fiscal justice. “It involves analysing government budgets for their effect on genders, and norms and roles associated with them. Promoting equal rights is not only an issue of fairness towards women, but it also brings socio-economic progress and welfare to a society,” said Leirtroe.

Since 2018, the Mission has supported parliamentary Committee on Gender Equality in employing gender responsive budgeting as an effective strategy and a tool to reduce inequalities between women and men. Introducing gender responsive budgeting through Parliament and government is an important step in achieving such equality and removing barriers to public services.

The Mission will continue to support introduction of gender responsive budgeting as a requirement that will contribute to enhancing the level of overall social justice and equality.