The International Federation of Women Lawyers, (FIDA) Nigeria has tasked the Government and Civil Society Organisations to ensure that the 2024 budget for Kogi State is gender-responsive.
The Program Manager of FIDA Nigeria, Fikih Obaro gave the charge on Wednesday, at a two-day capacity-building workshop for civil society organizations/State actors on gender gender-responsive budgets held in Lokoja.
He explained that a true gender-sensitive and inclusive budget should seek to address the marginalization of the target group by focusing both on increasing income and improving access to resources and services.
He stated that the design of gender-responsive budgeting hinges on the general principle of bringing together two sources of information which have been kept separate,” knowledge of gender inequality and knowledge of public finance and public sector programs.
Obaro identified tax measures, such as tax advantage saving plans and direct expenditures, such as welfare, childcare and special job creation as two major levers the government can pull in gender budgeting, stressing that both should be analyzed through a gender lens.
“By applying a gender lens to the budget, the government can understand the different needs of their constituents and plan, execute and monitor expenditures and revenue more effectively,” he added.
While establishing the fact that Kogi State is the seventh state where a campaign for Gender Responsive Budget is being championed by the organization, Obaro reemphasized that Civil Society Organisations in the country should continue to hold the government accountable.
According to him, a gender-responsive budget ensures that the needs and interests of individuals from different social groups are addressed in expenditure and revenue policies.
He added that a gender-responsive budget helps the government understand how to adjust its priorities and reallocate resources to live up to its commitments to achieving gender equality and advancing women’s rights.
Obaro explained further that, “Gender equality is critical to the development and peace of every nation. Women, Men, girls and boys often have very difficult practical and strategic needs and priorities. Women remain under-represented in public life, which means that government policies, including the economy, may not take their needs and priority into account”
Earlier in her opening remarks, the Vice President/National President of FIDA Amina Agbaje noted that the skills acquired, are to enable participants demand accountability for gender-related expenditure monitor release, utilization of the budget and advocate for the incorporation of gender perspectives at various stages of budget planning, policy, and program formulation”.
The capacity building workshop according to Agbaje is geared towards enhancing its understanding as a tool for promoting gender equity, accountability to women’s rights as well as efficiency and transparency in budget policies and processes”.
Agbaje, who was represented by the Kogi State Chairperson of FIDA Nigeria stated that the workshop is organized to enhance the capacity of civil society organisations and agencies in applying gender budget analysis tools in their programming around gender equality and women’s rights
“Women are more likely than men to have social responsibility for unpaid work such as childcare, care for older or disabled people, domestic work, and unpaid Subsistence work.
“This is because shouldering these gender responsibilities reduces women’s ability to do paid work, public services like early childhood education can reduce unpaid work and have a major effect on women’s opportunities and employment”.
“Funding for specialist services for women who have experienced violence is therefore vital to promoting gender equality through the instrumentality of a budget,” Agbaje stated.
