Gender budgeting (UNW)

During the period the project continued with intensive implementation of project activities achieving the expected results, upgraded with established unexpected new partnerships . The unexpected partnerships include the established partnership with the State Audit Office, the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Food, and extended cooperation on local level with 10 new municipalities. In 2022 and 2023, the Project continued to support key strategic and normative processes aimed at advancing GE : - Including Gender responsive budgeting (GRB) as one of the key budget principles in the Organic Budget Law (OBL). The Law is adopted by the Government in 2022. This resulted with established legal obligation for all budget users to submit data related to Gender Responsive Budgeting when submitting the budget request to the Ministry of finance. - The established cooperation with the State Audit Office contributed to introduction of gender responsive auditing. - GRB advisory is extended to 31 local self-government units, in policy making and budgetary processes, as well as in preparation of local strategies for gender equality (List of supported municipalities, Klaradia no. UM2019/02524/SKOP38) - Support is extended to several related CSOs among which the Association of Local Self-government units (ZELS), enabling continued capacity development of key state and civil society actors. - Continued support is provided to the National Gender Mechanism in its leadership role and - The first Resource center on gender responsive policy making and budgeting was established and institutionalized in March 2022, in accordance to the Letter of Agreement signed with the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, and an online platform for the Resource Center is being developed. - Support is provided to preparation of the National Strategy for GE (2021-2026) and to the Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development (2021-2027). - Gender is mainstreamed in the Regional Development Strategy (2021-2031); - The cooperation of UN Women with two partner organizations that provide support to women through 13 local civil society organizations resulted with involvement of about 3,300 women in outreach initiatives, and submission of 36 recommendations to the municipalities which resulted in specific budget allocations at local level. Meeting minutes 3rd Program Advisory Board, Klaradia no. UM2019/02524/SKOP39) - Rural women have been recognized as being one of the most disadvantaged population, groups in society, both in terms of access to land, services and finances as well as in regards to the double burden of unpaid care work and absence from the labor market. As a result of the collaborative effort of UN Women, the Ministry for Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy (MAFWE), the Academia and civil society organizations that represent the needs of rural women, the rural women for the first time have been given the opportunity to apply for financial support aimed at boosting the agricultural production and improving their livelihood. Resulting from the above, a new support measure - Measure 115 was defined and introduced into the budget of MAFWE, under the state Program for financial support for rural development, which was intended for women agricultural producers.

The project Promoting Gender Responsive Policies and Budgets: Towards Transparent, Inclusive and Accountable Governance in FYR of Macedonia has an overall objective “To improve women’s lives and support the inclusion of the most vulnerable groups through systematic and sustainable integration of gender perspective at all stages of national and local policy-making and budgeting processes.” To contribute to the achievement of the overall goal, the project will work towards achieving the following two  outcomes: - The Government’s public finance management and the strategic planning processes are improved to respond to the different needs of women and men as a result of effective application of gender responsive budgeting - Civil society organizations, women, including the most vulnerable actively participate in planning and decision-making mechanisms, and their priorities are fully reflected in public policies and budgets.  The theory of change of the proposed intervention is as follows: IF (1) national and local institutions formulate, implement and monitor evidence-based policies and budgets which fully reflect gender equality commitments; (2)  Members of Parliament and gender advocates demand accountability to GEWE commitments; (3) Women, including the most vulnerable, voice their needs and participate in local planning and decision-making; THEN more women, including the most vulnerable, will influence the development of and benefit from gender responsive policies and budgets; BECAUSE the capacities of national and local institutions are increased, accountability mechanisms are strenghtened and women's needs and concerns are fully taken into consideration.