The European Council

1
The European Councils definition of gender
budgeting

• Gender budgeting is an application of gender
  mainstreaming in the budgetary processes. It
  means a gender-based assessment of budgets,
  incorporating a gender perspective at all levels
  of the budgetary process and restructuring
  revenues and expenditures in order to promote
  gender equality.

2
Gender budgeting on national level

• 3 pillars
• Gender budgeting pilot project
• National action plan for gender equality
• Plan for implementing gender mainstreaming in the
  government offices

3
Gender budgeting pilot project

• Part of the Nordic gender budgeting project.
• Started in January 2003.
• Cooperation between the Gender equality unit and
  the Budgetary department at the Ministry of
  Finance.
• 3 policy areas Regional development, Social
  affairs and Transportation.
• Aim To be pathfinders for the other 45 policy
  areas developing methodology and tools for
  gender budgeting.

4
National Action Plan for Gender Equality

• Presented to the parliament in June 2003.
• In itself an example of gender mainstreaming
  the responsibility of each policy regarding
  objectives and results (or lack of it ) becomes
  very clear.
• Overall measure for this term of officeGender
  equality analysis of all policy areas will be
  conducted with a view to defining objectives and
  outcome indicators.

5
Plan for implementing gender mainstrea-ming in
the government offices 2004-2009

• Adopted by the government in April 2004.
• The decision-making processes of the government
  offices with special focus on the state budgetary
  process.
• Concrete objectives regarding objectives and
  other steering mechanisms, training, methods and
  gender focal points.
• Indicators to measure the yearly performance of
  each ministry.
• Qualitative external evaluations every second
  year.

6
Measures for implementation

• Strategically placed gender equality coordinators
  have been appointed and organisations for gender
  equality coordination have been established in
  all ministries.
• Extensive training programme for the Gender
  Equality Unit.
• Extensive training programme for the gender
  coordinators.
• Continuous training and support for all officials
  involved in the work of gender analysis and
  formulation of objectives and indicators.
• Presentation of results, where the performance of
  each policy area will be evident, is to be
  presented to the parliament in 2006.

7
Overall objective for Gender Equality Policy in
Sweden

• A society in which women and men have the same
  opportunities, rights and responsibilities in all
  areas of life.

8
Crucial areas

• Equal distribution of power and influence
• The same opportunities to achieve economic
  independence
• Equal conditions in and opportunities to
  employment
• Equal access to education and training as well as
  opportunities to develop personal interests and
  talents.
• Shared responsibility for the children and the
  household
• Freedom from gender related violence

9
Organisation for implementing the national gender
equality policy

• All ministers responsible for gender equality
  within their policy areas.
• In the government one minister is responsible for
  coordinating the governments gender equality
  policy, pushing the work forward and following up
  alla the measures at an overall level.
• The Gender Equality Unit assists the Minister for
  Gender Equality in his or her work and supports
  the other policy units in the Government Offices.
• County experts for gender equality issues at each
  county administrative board.
• The equal opportunities ombudsman.
• All 230 agencies that are reporting to the
  government has a duty to apply a gender equality
  perspective in its work.

10
The gender budgeting process

• Gender Equality Analysis
• ?
• Scrutinizing existing objectives and indicators
• ?
• Formulation of better objectives and indicators,
  including appropriation of financial means
• ?
• Follow up and evaluation of performance,
  including the actual distribution of means
  between different groups of women and men
• ?
• and starting all over again.