On 15 December, Igballe Rogova – Executive Director of the Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN) delivered a lecture on "Gender Responsive Budgeting at Local Level" under the PPDL – Cohort 5 training .
Ms. Rogova initially presented a brief history of KWN’s work and the vision that KWN promotes for an equal society. She indicated how the Gender Responsive Budgeting (GRB) represents integration of gender perspective in all phases of budget planning, execution, monitoring and evaluation, making this process more efficient and equitable for all citizens. Since the Ministry of Finance, through the Budget Circulars and the Law on Gender Equality No. 05/L-020, obliges budget organizations to institutionalize GRB in their budget documents, KWN, among others, cooperated with different Ministries and Municipalities to help this process.
"The Gender Responsive Budgeting does not necessarily require additional budget, it does not require 50-50% split of the budget and is not just for women. Benefits deriving from the GRB help to reduce inequalities; it helps in effectiveness funds allocation, better reporting to the Ministry of Finance and in growth, prosperity and economic development ", said Mrs. Rogova.
As far as GRB is concerned, only in 2017, KWN has published reports on Budgeting on Better Agriculture and Rural Development and Budgeting for Gender Equality Improvement in Diaspora Programs.
Discussions and interactivity after the lecture by various participating officials were quite promising for their further work to reduce existing inequalities.
The American Agency for International Development (USAID) has awarded the Foundation of American University in Kosovo a grant for the implementation of the Transformational Leadership Program – Courses for Public Servants. The purpose of the PPDL Certification Program is to assist people and the Government of Kosovo in capacity building for development of public policies and leadership at central and municipal level.
