OSCE Mission to Montenegro supports government in introducing gender responsive budgeting

Gender responsible budgeting is not just a matter of social justice, but a necessary precondition for sustainable development and social cohesion. This was one of the conclusions of a workshop on gender responsive budgeting, organized by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, in co-operation with the Secretariat of the Competitiveness Council and the Ministry of Finance and Social Welfare on 19 November 2021 in Podgorica.
The workshop included some 40 representatives of the Ministry of Finance and Social Welfare, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, the Ministry of Justice, Human and Minority Rights, the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Economic Development. Participants learned how to define and enter gender indicators into the information system for programme budget management, and how to draft a statement on gender responsive budgeting.
“Gender-responsive budgeting is an opportunity to improve gender equality and the economy as a whole, because it contributes to the overall economic growth,” said Bojan Paunović, Director General of the State Budget Directorate in the Ministry of Finance.
As part of the process of preparing the 2022 Budget, the Ministry of Finance and Social Welfare issued instructions for budget preparation for 2023 where the programme budget is integrated. Each spending unit will require a statement specifying gender priorities and budgetary measures aimed at strengthening gender equality.
The activity was an introduction to the implementation of gender budgeting requirements, and the Mission will continue to support the capacity development of government institutions in this direction in 2022.