Since the start the COVID-19 pandemic, almost USD 16 trillion has been pumped into the global economy, and governments are now rolling out second and third phases of support. With the introduction of vaccines, some countries can begin to get the pandemic under control and start investing in recovery. Most countries, however, are still grappling with the pandemic’s immediate health and socio-economic fallout, including its outsized impact on women. While the adoption of policy measures to prevent or respond to the surge in violence against women is more widespread, the social protection and jobs response has not adequately supported women’s economic security nor addressed care work or the financing of care services. This policy brief presents entry points for the application of gender-responsive budgeting to COVID-19 support and recovery packages. Drawing on country examples, this brief provides recommendations on the use of gender budgeting tools to identify gaps in policy responses and direct spending towards gender responsive COVID-19 measures.

As the world continues to grapple with the wide-ranging impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the innovation, accountability and effectiveness of public administrations to respond to the crisis and to ensure a green, inclusive and sustainable recovery is more crucial than ever. The pandemic has further underscored the need for governments and institutions to be better prepared for a crisis in all its forms. Whether a health pandemic, natural disaster, climate change, or economic shocks,...

On 1 July 2020 the Secretary-General launched a series of roundtables of renowned economists to address critical issues in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. The first roundtable  focused on three pressing areas profoundly affected by the crisis: external debt, external finance and international trade.Please see summary attached.  The second roundtable in the series on 3 September 2020, from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. (EDT) , which shifts focus to look at the two defining issues - jobs and climate action.

A recent blog by UN Women presents analysis and lessons from the 2018 monitoring round for SDG Indicator 5.c.1, shedding light on government efforts to design and implement gender budget tracking systems.  Data from 69 countries show that despite global progress in adopting gender budgeting, gaps persist in the implementation of policies and laws on gender equality and women’s empowerment. Less than half of the reporting countries indicated having adequate resource allocations...

17 July 2019 – On the margins of the 2019 High-Level Political Forum, UN Women convened an interactive dialogue on gender responsive budgeting with ministers from Rwanda, Sweden and Serbia. The dialogue provided an opportunity for Member States to critically reflect on their progress and learn from other countries.     Zohra Khan, UN Women’s Policy Advisor, shared experience from supporting gender responsive budgeting in more than 80 countries. The discussion addressed the...

From 11-16 August 2018,  the Afghanistan Office of the President, supported by UN Women and UNDP, organized a visit of senior government officials from Afghanistan to Indonesia to learn about their experiences implementing gender-responsive budgeting. Indonesia’s successful GRB story as helped the government to effectively distribute public funds to address the needs of women and men. The visit contributed to the development of a community of practice which opens dialogues between...