Womens voices heard in local planning and budgeting

Gender Responsive Budgeting - GRB - is no longer a strange concept for the local municipalities of Marneuli, Tetritskaro, Zugdidi, Gori and Sachkhere. GRB working groups, set up by representatives of local government in these five municipalities, with the support of UN Women, had already started using GRB as a tool to plan local budgets in 2012.

Between 16th and 30th September 2015, roundtables were held in each of the five municipalities, where priorities identified by the GRB Community Committees were discussed for inclusion in the local 2016 budgets. The Committees were composed of grassroots IDP groups and conflict-affected women's groups (mobilized by UN Women).

The GRB Community Committees surveyed 2,443 villagers (68% women and 32% men) in the 5 municipalities and identified 47 priorities relevant to gender equality, social inclusion and women's rights. Issues such as the quality and accessibility of local kindergartens; access to potable water; provision of school buses; outdoor lightning; and basic medical facilities in the villages, were identified.

The local government representatives promised to incorporate 27 of these priorities (57.4%) into the local 2016 budgets. The GRB Community Committees will continue to closely monitor the budget planning cycle, to make sure that promises are kept and that the 2016 budgets of their municipalities are gender sensitive.

“After the first roundtable meeting years ago, when we saw the priorities we submitted to the local government were reflected in the 2013 budget, we realized that we can really make change. We have made many improvements in our communities since then, but we know that we must not stop and should continue the hard work to make life in our conflict affected villages more appealing for everyone, especially the youth.”- says Esma Goglidze, Chair of the GRB Community Committee in Gori municipality.

UN Women is carrying out this work with the support of the government of Norway, within the framework of the project Women for Equality, Peace and Development in Georgia.