DUMISANI CHAUKE
BUHERA – Gender-Responsive Budgeting (GRB) means disaggregation of a budget in terms of its impact on men and women, and local authorities should look at the gender dimensions of every program or policy they are planning and see how every service is going to impact on men and women.
This was said by Gender Links Zimbabwe (GLZ) regional manager, Priscilla Maphosa at a Gender-Responsive Budgeting and Local Economic Development workshop held in Harare recently.
According to research, GRB focuses on key economic and social issues that are often overlooked or obscured in conventional budgets, policy formulation and decision-making.
Budgets reflect on how the public resources are mobilized and allocated to meet the social and economic needs of the people.
In Zimbabwe, Gender Links has partnered the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works and Diakonia support from the Embassy of Sweden to promote the delivery, through facilitating the budget of quality, affordable and gender-responsive public services in the 92 local authorities.
Trying to facilitate gender equality and equity, Buhera Rural District Council has adopted a gender-responsive budget for 2024 catering for the needs of women, children and People With Disabilities (PWDs) as it seeks to promote gender-responsive service delivery through allocating vending tables to more women and providing good sanitation at Murambinda Bus Terminus which is set for rehabilitation in 2024.
“When budgeting, we put into consideration that there are different roles and responsibilities for each community member, women have the reproductive and caregiving role, hence for them to fully play their roles, they need resources which enhance them to do their duties effectively. So, when allocating vending tables in marketplaces including in bus ranks, more tables are allocated to women so that they can be able to provide for their families,” said Buhera RDC chairperson, Thomas Matsenhura.
Matsenhura stated that the 2024 budget is also seeking to accommodate needs for PWDs by reserving their own parking bays at Murambinda Bus Terminus which is set for renovations.
“Our role as the local authority is to ensure that budgets are sustainable, inclusive and gender-responsive as it is essential for promoting equitable development and social progress, that is why we accommodated various and unique needs and challenges faced by different community groups.
“We are also going to add a private space in the public restrooms where travelling mothers and vending mothers are going change their children’s diapers in private, and providing sanitary wear in the public restrooms to cater for the needs of women and children,” said Matsenhura.
Vendors in Murambinda said that the local authority should be gender-sensitive in the budget plan and channel more funds for sanitation among other services to cater for women and children who are the most vulnerable groups in the community.
