National Gender Budgeting & Economic Empowerment

Background

Gender Budgeting in Zimbabwe was initiated in 1999 by the Zimbabwe Women’s Resource Centre and Network (ZWRCN) as a way of advancing gender equality in Zimbabwe. Through the analysis of sector and national budgets, the organisation used the findings to advocate for gender responsive budgets. However the review of budgets did little to change the outcomes of the Government budgets. It became apparent from experience in programme implementation and studies from other countries that any attempts to influence government to implement gender sensitive budgets required its active participation and ownership of the process.

Following a vigorous campaign by ZWRCN and other non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to persuade the Government to mainstream gender into he national budgets, the Government agreed though the Ministry of Women Affairs Gender and Community Development (MWAGCD) to start the process in earnest in 2006. In December 2006, ZWRCN signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Ministry to collaborate with government in implementation of the programme. This was subsequently followed by the official launch of the programme in April 2007 by the then Acting Minister of Finance, Honourable P. Chinamasa.

The national programme on Gender Budgeting and Women’s Empowerment currently seeks to promote the formulation and implementation of national policies and budgets that are pro-poor and sensitive to the needs and priorities of women, including other marginalized groups such as the physically challenged and the youth. This programme contributes to the upholding of human rights and international obligations on poverty reduction and gender equality by promoting the monitoring of gender mainstreaming activities and poverty eradication programmes, and establishing whether government commitments translate into policies and requisite budgetary allocations.