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3B. GENDER BUDGETING
12 EIGE, Economic benefits of Gender Equality in the European Union , see at: https://eige.europa.eu/gender- mainstreaming/policy-areas/economic-and-financial-affairs/economic-benefits-gender-equality
13 UN WOMEN Europe and Central Asia (2021), Municipality of Novaci in North Macedonia invests in childcare to improve the quality of life for women and children , published on 5 July 2021 and available at: https://eca. unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2021/07/municipality-of-novaci-in-north-macedonia-invests-in-childcare
The CEMR European Charter for Equality defines gender budgeting as an application of gender mainstreaming in the budgetary process. It means conducting a gender- based assessment of budgets, incorporating a gender perspective at all levels [ ] and restructuring revenues and expenditures in order to promote gender equality. The process is not about increasing budget expenditure or creating a new, separate budget
for women; it is about taking into consideration the principle of equality between women and men from the very start. And taking this approach doesn t just have benefits for equality: According to a study by the EIGE, incorporating a gendered perspective into budgets and analysing public spending for unintentional inequality could lead to an increase in GDP per capita in the European Union of 6.1 to 9.6%, or 1.95 to 3.15 trillion EUR, by 205012.
A full-day kindergarten [Novaci, North Macedonia]
The town of Novaci in North Macedonia is taking its first steps in gender budgeting13. For the last decade, parents in the Municipality of Novaci could only receive child care for a maximum of two and a half hours per day at the only childcare centre for a population of around 3 500 residents. This lack of investment has specifically impacted mothers, who are taking on the greater share of care responsibilities, fuelling calls for a full-day kindergarten. With support from the UN Women gender-responsive budgeting project, Novaci is increasing investment in social services and allocating funds to the development of the full-day kindergarten. Residents, especially mothers taking on care responsibilities, have been big supporters of such an idea. With assistance from the UN Women gender- responsive budgeting project, Novaci is investing in social services and allocating funds to the development of the full-day kindergarten. One of the parents remarked in an interview,
I am convinced that one of the main reasons for women s absence from the labour market
is the lack of childcare services rather than a lack of employment opportunities.
Especially in North Macedonia, where household and care responsibilities are unequally distributed and women bear a greater burden, access to childcare increases women s participation in public and economic life. Irena Popovska Talevska, Coordinator for Equal Opportunities in the Municipality of Novaci, recalls attending a UN Women training on gender-responsive budgeting:
After that initial training, I asked myself what would be different if there were more women voicing
their needs at municipal council meetings? Will it affect the priority areas of the municipality s planning?
Case Study
