Action kit: Engaging parliaments in gender responsive budgeting

This action kit is a practical tool for unpacking gender responsive budgeting (GRB) and engaging parliaments and parliamentarians in strengthening scrutiny and oversight of gender responsive budget formulation, execution, and evaluation. As a result of their interventions, the budget process can be more participatory, inclusive, and effective.

This publication is directed primarily to actors who want to build an effective system for integrating GRB into the annual state budget process. This includes include Members of Parliament (MPs), parliamentary staff and committees, caucuses of women MPs, as well as other actors, including UN Women or other United Nations entities who may want to initiate and support a stronger role for parliament and MPs in GRB.

The action kit is divided into sections:

• Building government systems to support GRB through the budget cycle;
• Parliament’s role in engaging with GRB in the budget process; and
• Programmatic interventions to support parliaments in the GRB process.

To ensure the guidance and information provided in the publication are grounded in practice, country examples of GRB implementation and entry points for parliamentary engagement are included.