GENDER FRIENDLY BUDGET SOUGHT

December 17, 2002 – (The Rising Nepal) A South Asia regional workshop on gender budget began here today to discuss economic security among women, a crucial component of gender equality.

More than 30 planners, researchers, legal practitioners and gender activists from Nepal, Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan are participating in the two-day workshop, the third of its kind.

The workshop is being jointly organised by the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare (WCSW) and the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM).

UNIFEM is a women's fund at the United Nations that has been operating innovative programmes and strategies for women's human rights, political participation and economic security since 1976.

Speaking at the programme, Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare Gore Bahadur Khapangi said that the workshop will draw the attention of the region to review state budgets for women's development. Khapangi stressed the need to identify gaps in budgetary allocations made to men and women and take reform initiatives towards achieving the goal of social equality.

He said that gender concerns were brought to bear on development issues when it started becoming clear that planned development efforts, meant to improve the lives of the whole community, were not being treated with gender equality and justice.

"Creation of an equitable society on the basis of gender equality through mainstreaming gender concerns in each and every aspect of national development has been the core mission of Nepal to link gender with development,'' he said.

Bijaya Raj Bhattarai, secretary at the WCSW, said that misconception, prejudices and superstition are the major and causes of gender discrimination.
Chandni Joshi, regional programme director of UNIFEM, South Asia said that gender budget is a tool to bringing about gender balance.

She said that the 10th plan has focused on eliminating gender inequality besides empowering women. Dr. Diane Elson, an economist from the University of Manchester shed light on gender budget. She said that analysis of public expenditure and revenue from a gender perspective should be done by identifying the implications and impact on women and girls as compared to men and boys.

From: http://www.mahilaweb.org/footer/news/dec_02/rising_nepal.htm