Gender-Responsive Budgeting in Municipalities
18/05/2023
Today GAP Institute published its report “Gender-Responsive Budgeting in Municipalities”
Gender - Responsive Budgeting (GRB) became a legal obligation for all institutions with the entry into force of the Law on Gender Equalities in 2015. The aim of gender-responsive budgeting is threefold: promotion of transparency and accountability in fiscal policies; increase of participation of gender-responsiveness in the budgetary process; and promotion of gender equality.
GAP Institute has analysed this process and the impact of GRB on budgetary organizations at the municipal level. From 2017-2023, there is no year in which all municipalities have submitted their completed GRB annexes. In many cases, the appendices of GRB, even when submitted, contain many errors in their data.
As far as the draft budget process of 2023 is concerned, 33 municipalities have provided their data concerning the employment of women and men in the municipal institutions; 34 municipalities have provided complete data on the annual distribution of budget for wages and salaries; 25 municipalities have provided data regarding the number of women and men beneficiaries of subsidies; 26 municipalities have provided complete data regarding the amount of planned subsidies segregated by gender; 31 municipalities have completed their GRB data with regard to income level for women and men employed in the public sector.
It is shown that 18,739 women (48.8%) and 19,626 men (51.2%) are employed in total in 34 municipalities, as evidenced in the GRB annexes that these municipalities have provided. In 22 out these municipalities, men receive the largest part of the budget allocated for wages and salaries compared to the remaining 12 municipalities. 25 municipalities have provided data regarding the number of women and men beneficiaries of subsidies; 26 municipalities have provided complete data regarding the amount of planned subsidies segregated by gender; 31 municipalities have completed their GRB data with regard to income level for women and men employed in the public sector. 14 out of 25 municipalities gave subsidies of larger amounts for men compared to the amount for women, despite the predictions made for 2023 that more women than men will receive subsidies from municipalities.
GAP Institute recommends that MFLT applies stricter criteria during the whole process of drafting the 2024 budget, and the approval of municipal budgets, if the municipalities do not provide a completed GRB annex. Besides, gender budgeting must be included in the Law on Public Finance Management and Responsibilities. Moreover, all other information concerning the process of GRB must be part of the draft state budget that is submitted in the Assembly of Kosovo for approval and should also be part of draft municipal budgets for discussion in municipal assemblies.
To read the full report please click Here.
