FIDA Nigeria has trained forty Civil Society Organisations/State actors drawn from Kogi State on Gender Responsive Budgeting.
The two-day workshop for Civil society and state actors is geared towards equipping them with basic knowledge and understanding of gender-responsive budgeting.
According to Amina Agbaje (Mrs), Country Vice President/National President of FIDA, in opening remarks at the workshop held in Lokoja, Kogi, on Wednesday, she said, “Sexual & Gender-Based Violence/Child Early Forced Marriage continues to be widespread and underreported, as domestic violence and abuse often include financial abuse.”
“The skills acquired are to enable participants to demand accountability for gender-related expenditure, monitor the release and 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 is geared towards enhancing understanding as a tool for promoting gender equity, accountability to women’s rights, as well as efficiency and transparency in budget policies and processes.”
The workshop, according to Mrs. Agbaje, is represented by Barr. Lilian Okolo, Kogi State FIDA Chairperson, is organized with the intention to enhance the capacity of civil society organizations and agencies to apply gender budget analysis tools in their programming around gender equality and women’s rights.
Also, the training, Mrs Agbaje added, is to assist participants in supporting gender budget initiatives wherever they exist and seeking clarity and understanding of the conceptual, technical, and political elements of gender-responsive budgeting.
“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 due to the fact that shouldering these gendered responsibilities reduces women’s ability to do paid work. Public services like early childhood education can reduce unpaid work and majorly affect 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.”
The FIDA Vice President described the “budget as the single most important policy tool of government, as it affects the successful implementation of all other policies. It reflects a state’s economic, social, and societal priorities, mirroring a society’s values and a certain socio-political agenda.”
Presentations by various resource persons on topics such as Power Analysis and Policy Influencing on GRB, Gender Audit, and Gender-Sensitive Monitoring of Budget were made, emphasizing that gender equality is critical to the development and peace of every nation.
The FIDA workshop in Lokoja is supported by the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room and funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO).
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