Editorial
Gender-sensitive budgeting
Gender concerns must be addressed at all levels
The Constitution of Bangladesh guarantees women and men equal rights but this is yet to be reflected in the national budget. At a recent discussion on the upcoming budget and gender equality, experts agreed that in order to prepare a gender-sensitive budget, women's roles in macro economic activities and their contributions to, among others, the agricultural sector and household activities -- which often goes unaccounted for not only in our country but around the world -- must be recognised and measured.
While both women and men share the burden of poverty and underdevelopment, their experiences are different and these differences must be addressed when setting poverty reduction priorities and interventions. Sex disaggregated data is necessary, perhaps derived from the population census, to get a clearer picture of this. It is important to identify how government expenditures do or do not contribute to women's advancement.
For women's concerns to be adequately and effectively addressed, women themselves must be included in the mainstream decision making process. For years, women's rights activists have been demanding that a separate gender wing be established in every ministry and organisation to deal with the gender dimensions. This is yet to materialise, however.
In preparing a gender-responsive budget, it is important to have specific guidelines with gender and poverty formats as well as gender training of persons concerned. Consultations with women themselves, from the grassroots to rights activists are of the utmost importance in order to take into account actual experiences of women and to address their needs and concerns.
The government has a commitment to poverty reduction and development in general and advancement of women in particular. For these to be reality, however, they must be addressed in the national budget. We hope that the upcoming budget will reflect and address these gender concerns towards true betterment of the lives of women.
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