Dusheti municipality to implement a gender sensitive budget

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The first ever round-table meeting was conducted between local women and representatives of Dusheti City Hall and the City Assembly (Sakrebulo). Photo: Gvantsa Chagunava
The first ever round-table meeting was conducted between local women and representatives of Dusheti City Hall and the City Assembly (Sakrebulo). Photo: Gvantsa Chagunava

Round-table discussions between local self-governments and the members of women’s self-help groups serve the purpose of informing government representatives about the needs of the local population - these meetings are also effective leverage in highlighting women’s priorities during budgeting processes at the local level. UN Women together with Taso Foundation and the Kakheti Regional Development Fund are constantly striving to develop this instrument, and it is at present actively being implemented within the Dusheti municipality.

On 7 November, the first ever round-table meeting was conducted between local women and representatives of Dusheti City Hall and the City Assembly (Sakrebulo). The meeting was also attended by the Mayor of Dusheti, Manana Narimanidze. During the discussion, members of the self-help groups informed the local government about the results of a recent community needs assessment survey.

The survey itself was conducted in August, using a door-to-door approach, in the villages of Magharoskari and Chargali. The results showed that the majority of the population consider water supply problems and the lack of local municipal transport, as well as the need for a local park, to be the most pressing issues. The Mayor, Manana Narimanidze, consequently provided detailed information regarding each of these issues. In addition, she also highlighted the importance of women’s active engagement within civic processes and remarked that the local City Hall is planning on enhancing efforts towards women’s empowerment in Dusheti.

The meeting concluded with a discussion during which the participants noted the availability of local resources and capacities, and thereafter made plans on how to tackle their respective gaps.

“I think these meetings are very important for the local community and local women because certain types of information do not reach us in a good or timely manner. Now I know exactly which issues the City Hall will take upon itself to tackle, and in what ways they will proceed working on the issues that are a priority for us,” - remarked Irma Butkhashvili, a member of a self-help group from the village of Magharoskari.

This year, 11 roundtable meetings have been conducted across different municipalities in Kakheti, Kvemo Kartli, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, and Samtskhe-Javakheti. The activities to support gender-responsive budgeting are conducted within the UN Women “Women’s Economic Empowerment in the South Caucasus” project, and implemented by the Kakheti Regional Development Fund, Taso Foundation, and CARE International Caucasus, with financial support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC).