It is widely acknowledged that progressing equality can help to boost the global economy and that persistent inequality impedes growth.
Gender-based budgeting is one way that public leaders can inclusively grow the economy and progress equality by ensuring programmes and budgets are more gender responsive.
Policy decisions have varying effects on different groups of people and understanding the consequences of these effects is key to effective, evidence-based policy making. Bringing gender issues into the heart of fiscal policy allows for greater understanding of budgetary policy and how it affects women and men differently; thereby giving clarity on how to improve our economy.
The European Institute for Gender Equality asserts that improving gender equality would lead to a strong, positive impact on Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita. By 2050, improving gender equality would lead to an increase in EU (GDP) per capita by 6.1 to 9.6%, which amounts to €1.95 to €3.15 trillion. 15 out of 34 OECD Countries have introduced or are planning to introduce gender budgeting. International institutions such as the International Monetary Fund, the European Council and Parliament, and the World Bank have called on countries to develop and implement gender-responsive budgeting.
Not only does gender-responsive budgeting address issues of accountability and transparency in terms of budgetary allocations, but it can highlight previously unseen or unintended effects of traditional budgeting; thus improving the effectiveness, efficiency, accountability and transparency of policy, as well as making significant contributions towards equality and our economy in straitened times.
CEF are delighted to co-host this half day conference in collaboration with the NI Women’s Budget Group and in association with Belfast City Council Women’s Steering Group to offer delegates the opportunity to hear from a variety of inspirational, expert speakers from across the UK and Ireland. The Conference programme can be downloaded from this link: http://www.ceforum.org/publications/womensleadership/45