This IMF Working Paper examines how public processes can contribute to improving women's status. Gender budgeting, which refers to the systematic examination of budget programs and policies for their impact on women, has been tried in a range of countries in recent years. This study attempts to show that gender budgeting is just good budgeting; budgeting that properly accounts for the positive externalities that are derived from improving women's opportunities for health care, education, and...

The document provides a gender analysis of the Australian Treasurer's 2006/2007 budgetary changes by examining the gender impacts of newly introduced tax concessions. It identifies the groups most able to take advantage of these as being income and flexible-asset rich Australians (which include relatively few women).The paper concludes by identifying the elements of a budgetary approach that would contribute to a more female- friendly retirement incomes policy.