Training of trainers on gender-responsive budgeting focus of OSCE-supported workshop in Montenegro

Fifteen public officials from five ministries and one parliamentary committee successfully completed a four-day training course ending on 19 October, organized by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro and the Secretariat for Competitiveness Council. These officials, are now qualified to train their counterparts on implementing gender-responsive budgeting in state institutions. 

Public officials from the Ministries of Economic Development and Tourism, Finance, Labour and Social Welfare, Defence, and of Interior, as well as the staff of the parliamentary Committee for Gender Equality, reviewed how to use the training manual on gender-responsive budgeting, developed with Mission’s support. This included use of practical tools how to prepare statement on gender budgeting, conduct a gender analysis, and review programmatic budgets from a gender perspective.

Nataša Obradović, OSCE-engaged consultant and trainer on gender-responsive budgeting said that this workshop contributed to strengthening partnerships and joint initiatives amongst state institutions on gender-responsive budgeting. “It will also ensure more coherent and effective support developing a track record that demonstrate progress on meeting gender equality commitments,” said Obradović.

Another OSCE-engaged trainer Jovana Radifković explained that the goal of gender-responsive budgeting is not to have separate budgets for men and women, but to recognize places where collection and distribution of state finance is unjust. “When we create budgets, we need to imagine the faces of girls and boys and to think how to address their distinct needs. That is the way to reach gender equality,” said Radifković. 

This workshop is part of a commitment to develop trainers for the Education Programme on Gender-Responsive Budgeting, which will be offered to the Human Resource Management Authority. These trainers will work within the public sector to further train officials on gender-responsive budgeting, using the manual.