Kenya Gender Budgeting Network which is hosted by Collaborative Centre for Gender and Development with its partners organized the Gender Responsive Budgeting in Kenya Webinar on 9th December 2021 themed; ‘’Implications of national GRB analysis and advocacy activities on the county budget process.’’
The overall is to document the implications of National Budget GRB analysis and advocacy activities on the county budgeting process. With specific objectives being to identify actionable areas of county level GRB advocacy in the 2022/23 budget process and to initiate a coordinated Gender Responsive Budget advocacy at the county level.
Kenya Gender Budget Network (KGBN) is an open membership of stakeholders engaged in gender focused advocacy work to inform programming and budgeting. The network aims to ensure better coordination, voice, and coherence of the civil society and other actors in engaging government and advocating for and monitoring the adoption and practice of Gender Responsive Budgeting (GRB).
KGBN aims to harness and synchronize the work of research institutions, academia, international and national partners interested in GRB as well as policy and grassroots Civil society Organizations (CSOs) at the national and county level for effective GRB advocacy. KGBN’s interest in coordinating Gender Responsive Budget actors at the national and county level is to enhance voice, coherence and action with regards to findings on the analysis of 2021/22 budget 2022-23 Sector Working Group reports, and the
2022 BPS. The webinars expected is to development of an action plan for county level GRB advocacy in 2022/23 budget process with the expected outputs being to enhanced gender responsiveness in county budgets as well as to Increased GRB knowledge, awareness and coordination among civil society and the public.
During the forum the budget preparations procedures which begin in July and takes 28 months for the entire budget process to be finalized were discussed.
During the forum the budget preparations procedures which begin in July and takes 28 months for the entire budget process to be finalized were discussed.
A presentation on the budget cycle calendar at county level was presented as well as the budget process.
According to Darmi Jattani, Gender Responsive Budgeting is about ensuring the existing framework puts in place the different needs of people in the county. She added that GRB is a constitutional mandate and should be heavily focused on since the opportunity cost of women missing in contribution to the economy is high.
“Among the gaps that exist at the National level in regards to Gender Responsive Budget is the time spent on unpaid care work which is disproportionately high among women,’’ highlighted Darmi Jattani.
