Gender-responsive budgeting: A global perspective

Public budgets are an important policy statement of governments. During the past 40 years, in recognition that gender equality is essential for sustainable economic growth, the international community has called upon all countries to use their budgets to advance gender equitable resource allocation and revenue generation. More than 80 countries have answered this call by implementing gender-responsive budgets at the national and subnational levels. This chapter provides a global perspective of gender responsive budgeting (GRB) with a focus on the different initiatives countries have taken to incorporate a gender perspective into their budget processes. The chapter describes the factors that have contributed to the success of GRB initiatives and discusses policy outcomes of these initiatives. As this chapter was written during the COVID-19 pandemic, it closes with a postscript on the need for a gender perspective on policies addressing the crisis.