• About us
  • GSDRC Publications
  • Research Helpdesk
  • E-Bulletin
  • Privacy policy

GSDRC

Governance, social development, conflict and humanitarian knowledge services

  • Governance
    • Democracy & elections
    • Public sector management
    • Security & justice
    • Service delivery
    • State-society relations
  • Social Development
    • Gender
    • Inequalities & exclusion
    • Social protection
    • Poverty & wellbeing
  • Humanitarian Issues
    • Humanitarian financing
    • Humanitarian response
    • Recovery & reconstruction
    • Refugees/IDPs
    • Risk & resilience
  • Conflict
    • Conflict analysis
    • Conflict prevention
    • Conflict response
    • Conflict sensitivity
    • Impacts of conflict
    • Peacebuilding
  • Development Pressures
    • Climate change
    • Food security
    • Fragility
    • Migration & diaspora
    • Population growth
    • Urbanisation
  • Approaches
    • Complexity & systems thinking
    • Institutions & social norms
    • PEA / Thinking & working politically
    • Results-based approaches
    • Theories of change
  • Aid Instruments
    • Budget support & SWAps
    • Capacity building
    • Civil society partnerships
    • Multilateral aid
    • Private sector partnerships
    • Technical assistance
  • M&E
    • Indicators
    • Learning
    • M&E approaches
Home»GSDRC Publications»Impact of gender-responsive budgeting

Impact of gender-responsive budgeting

Helpdesk Report
  • Emilie Combaz
July 2013

Question

What is the evidence on the impact of gender-responsive budgeting on gender outcomes and on resource distribution within government bodies, in developing countries? Where possible, identify the key requirements for success and lessons learned in gender-responsive budgeting.

Summary

Gender-responsive budgeting has been applied by a few dozen developing countries since the mid-1980s, though to very different extents and in diverse forms. It is difficult to identify what its impact has been on gender outcomes and on resource distribution within government, due to a limited evidence base and to complexity in assessing and interpreting impact.

Nevertheless, some findings have emerged. Gender-responsive budgeting is generally seen as having had a mixed impact, with some positive outcomes and some cases where no impact is established (there is no evidence of any negative effects). There is no meta-review available, and evidence of impact is based on case studies. Positive outcomes include:

    • Better dynamics for gender equality in budget processes. Awareness, capacities and data related to gender equality have often been increased, and budget transparency, accountability and participation improved.
    • Improved gender outcomes in budgets, policies and service delivery. This was achieved when gender-responsive budgeting was used in conjunction with other strategies, methods and tools for gender equality. Examples includes cross-sectoral budget changes and sectoral ones.

The literature identifies various factors that affect the impact of gender-responsive budgeting:

    • Obstacles include: the lack of sex-disaggregated data and of data on gender relations; limited capacity and resources for such a complex task; and gaps in action (e.g. on the revenue side) and sustainability.
    • Enabling factors include: securing sustained support for gender-responsive budgeting; engendering the entire budget process and economic policy; ensuring practical feasibility; building capacities; supporting women’s participation in planning and budgeting; and linking gender issues with other structural inequalities.

 

file type icon See Full Report [PDF]

Enquirer:

  • DFID Zambia

Related Content

Increasing Birth Registration for Children of Marginalised Groups in Pakistan
Helpdesk Report
2021
Water for the urban poor and Covid-19
Helpdesk Report
2020
Humanitarian Access, Protection, and Diplomacy in Besieged Areas
Helpdesk Report
2019
Water Management/Governance Systems in Pakistan
Helpdesk Report
2019
birminghamids hcri

gro.crdsg@seiriuqne Feedback Disclaimer

Outputs supported by FCDO are © Crown Copyright 2023; outputs supported by the Australian Government are © Australian Government 2023; and outputs supported by the European Commission are © European Union 2023
Connect with us: facebooktwitter

Outputs supported by DFID are © DFID Crown Copyright 2023; outputs supported by the Australian Government are © Australian Government 2023; and outputs supported by the European Commission are © European Union 2023