Hani i Elezit, a small and green municipality located at the Kosovo-Macedonia border, is beginning its long and fruitful journey with Gender Responsive Budgeting (GRB).
     The Ministry of Finance as well as Kosovo’s legal framework require all Ministries and Municipalities to plan and execute their budgets in a gender sensitive way. However, as GRB is a new concept for Kosovo municipalities, KWN assists one Municipality per year to successfully serve their citizens by integrating GRB into their budget processes. Hani i Elezit has been selected to be supported throughout the year 2016.       At an introductory workshop held on 17 March, Donjeta Morina, KWN Capacity Development Coordinator introduced participants to this new and exciting approach towards planning and executing government budgets. “Gender Responsive Budgeting can make a Municipalities expenditures more equitable, transparent, and efficient. However, planning and executing budgets in a gender sensitive way does not require additional expenditures, just a more “people”-oriented approach whereby the local government attends to women and men’s different needs, priorities and interests” – Morina stated, adding that the key point in GRB integration lies in the maintenance, analysis, and usage of gender disaggregated data.
     Mayor Mr. Rufki Suma was also present at the meeting, and expressed his gratitude for KWN’s support, by stating that it will aid their municipality to meet new Ministry of Finance requirements. Also present at the meeting and very active in giving ideas on making municipal spending more gender responsive was Mr. Menduh Vlashi, deputy Mayor. Further, all directors of municipal departments attended. KWN was positively surprised at the participant’s attentiveness and eagerness to gain expertise on GRB.
     Directors of Agriculture, Public Services, and Health all gave very concrete examples of how they will integrate GRB in the weeks to come. Their very promising ideas will help decrease inequalities in their Municipality, and ensure that men, women, girls, and boys all benefit equally from all economic categories and budget lines. KWN will follow with one-on-one mentoring sessions with each Director to support them in turning their plans into reality.
     Stay tuned for more news from Hani i Elezit; a fascinating, efficient, and transparent Municipality whose GRB journey will undoubtedly be successful.
     KWN support to Municipalities on GRB integration is supported by Austrian Development Agency (ADA).