The international Conference on Decentralization, Local Power and Women's Rights: Global Trends in Participation, Representation and Access to Public Services was held from 18-21 November 2008, in Mexico City. The present document emerged from the analysis and experiences shared during the Conference and the work of IDRC-supported researchers. It comprises a set of policy recommendations that, for the first time, define a global agenda on gender and decentralization.

This paper discusses a wide range of issues related to the topic of gender budgets, including the concept of engendering budgets in relation to poverty, development, macro and micro level economics, the challenges to integrating gender into policy, as well as good governance among other issues. The paper closes with lessons learned from the gender budgeting experience in Oaxaca, Mexico.

Systematization of the project, "Gender Equity: Citizenship, Labor and Family and Fundar". The assessment was carried out in conjunction with the Ministry of Health, as part of a reflection process for introducing a gender perspective into the planning and budgeting of the health sector in Mexico.

This publication supports the design and formulation of Gender Sensitive policies and budgets in the Health Sector. It is the result of the joint efforts of the Ministry of Health, through its National Associate Direction for Gender Equality, which belongs to the National Centre for Gender Equality and Reproductive Health, and the civil society organizations: FUNDAR, Centre for Analysis and Research and Gender Equality: Citizenship, Work and Family