Oceania

Citation:

Costa, Monica, Marian Sawer, and Rhonda Sharp. 2013. “Women Acting for Women: Gender-Responsive Budgeting in Timor-Leste.” International Feminist Journal Of Politics 15 (3): 333-52.

Authors: Monica Costa, Marian Sawer, Rhonda Sharp

Abstract:

In the new country of Timor-Leste, women constituted in 2011 32 per cent of the parliament, a relatively high figure in the world and in the region. But to what extent has the presence of women in parliament contributed to progress towards gender equality? In this article we argue that the passage of a parliamentary resolution on gender-responsive budgeting in Timor-Leste was an act of substantive representation, and we draw on a range of data to examine what made it possible. We find that while ‘newness’, international norms, women’s movement unity, women’s machinery in government and parliament and networks linking them were important, it was the development of a cross-party parliamentary women’s caucus that was crucial to success. The role of gender-focused parliamentary institutions in supporting critical actors has rarely been examined in the literature on substantive representation. This is in contrast to the rich literature on institutions such as women’s policy agencies. Our study suggests that more focus on parliamentary institutions is needed to discover what enables women parliamentarians to become critical actors.

Keywords: gender-responsive budgeting, substantive representation, Timor-Leste, women's parliamentary caucus

Topics: Gender, Gender Budgeting, Gendered Power Relations, Gender Equality/Inequality, Governance, Political Participation Regions: Oceania Countries: Timor-Leste

Year: 2013

Citation:

Austen, Siobhan, Monica Costa, Rhonda Sharp, and Diane Elson. 2013. “Expenditure Incidence Analysis: A Gender-Responsive Budgeting Tool for Educational Expenditure in Timor-Leste?" Feminist Economics 19 (4): 1-24.

Authors: Siobhan Austen, Monica Costa, Rhonda Sharp, Diane Elson

Abstract:

Gender-disaggregated expenditure incidence analysis (EIA) is a tool for assessing the gender responsiveness of budgets and policies. However, to date there has been a limited take-up of gender-disaggregated EIA in policy and budget decision making. Using data from the 2007 Timor-Leste Living Standards Survey (TLLSS) and interviews and discussions with stakeholders, this paper conducts an EIA of expenditures on public schools and discusses the effectiveness of this analysis as an input into budget decision making. While gender-disaggregated EIA can assist in identifying gender gaps, its potential can only be fulfilled when combined with additional gender analysis and supported by a deep understanding of budget decision-making processes and the actors involved. The gender-disaggregated EIA of Timor- Leste’s educational spending confirmed its usefulness as an indicator of inequalities in educational expenditure. However, a range of political, cultural, and technical barriers constrains the use of gender-disaggregated EIA in policy and budget decision making.

Keywords: expenditure incidence analysis, gender-responsive budgeting, Timor-Leste, Gender

Topics: Education, Gender, Gender Analysis, Gender Budgeting Regions: Oceania Countries: Timor-Leste

Year: 2013

Citation:

Sharp, Rhonda, and Sanjugta Vas Dev. 2006. “Integrating Gender into Public Expenditure: Lessons from the Republic of the Marshall Islands.” Pacific Studies 29 (3/4): 83-105.  

Authors: Rhonda Sharp, Sanjugta Vas Dev

Abstract:

In 2003, the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) became tile first Pacific Island government to introduce a gender budget initiative (GBI) as a strategy for promoting gender equality. Important enabling factors which facilitated the GBI included the RMI's matrilineal culture, its strong women's nongovernment organizations (NGO) base and a raft of budgetary reforms seeking to increase transparency and accountability. However, a poorly resourced women's office within the government, low numbers of women holding political office, and the absence of key gender accountability mechanisms limited the success of the initiative. The most significant constraining factor was the RMI's budgetary context, including the uncertainty created by the US-RM I Compact negotiations. A key lesson for other countries is that GBIs, like any budgetary reform process, encounter a range of problems in changing budgetary processes and decision making, including a lack of political will of the government.

Topics: Gender, Gender Budgeting, Gendered Power Relations, Gender Equality/Inequality, NGOs, Political Participation Regions: Oceania Countries: Marshall Islands

Year: 2006

Citation:

Sharp, Rhonda, and Ray Broomhill. 2002. “Budgeting for Equality: The Australian Experience." Feminist Economics 8 (1): 25-47.

Authors: Rhonda Sharp, Ray Broomhill

Abstract:

Gender budgets have now been introduced in varying forms in more than forty countries throughout the world. These exercises emerged out of feminist practical politics initially in Australia and later in a number of other countries. The idea of gender budgets gathered further momentum when the United Nations Beijing Platform for Action called for the integration of a gender perspective into budgetary decision-making. Most of these experiments share three core goals. They seek to: (1) mainstream gender issues within government policies; (2) promote greater accountability for governments’ commitment to gender equality; and (3) change budgets and policies. However, very little research has examined their success in achieving these goals. In discussing the lessons learnt from the Australian experience, this paper adopts a feminist political economy perspective on the state as an analytical starting point for discussing the future of gender budgets elsewhere in the world.

Keywords: Gender budgets, women's budgets, government expenditure, taxation, economic restructuring, gender mainstreaming

Topics: Economies, Gender, Gender Budgeting, Gender Mainstreaming Regions: Oceania Countries: Australia

Year: 2002

Citation:

Sharp, Rhonda. 2007. “Gender Responsive Budgets (GRBs) Have a Place in Financing Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment.” Paper presented at the Expert Group Meeting on Financing for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, Oslo, Norway, September 4-7.

Author: Rhonda Sharp

Abstract:

This paper prepared by Rhonda Sharp, September 2007 uses examples from Australia and the Pacific Island Countries and Territorities to address the following questions: How can we assess a government's achievements in gender responsive budgeting? How can gender responsible budgeting be made sustainable in the face of change? What can we expect from GRBs?

The paper was presented in a context of increasing evidence that GRB are a positive force in promoting a more equitable distribution of public resources and benefits of development for women and improving overall budgetary processes and outcomes. (Abstract from UN Women)

Topics: Gender, Gender Budgeting Regions: Oceania Countries: Australia

Year: 2007

Citation:

Çağatay, Nilüfer, Mümtaz Keklik, Radhika Lal, and James Lang. 2000. “Budgets as if People Mattered: Democratizing Macroeconomic Policies.” SEPED Conference Paper Series, UNDP, New York.

Authors: Nilüfer Çağatay, Mümtaz Keklik, Radhika Lal, James Lang

Abstract:

This UNDP conference paper, published in May 2000 by Nilufer Cagatay, Mumtaz Keklik, Radhika Lal and James Lang, provides a contextual framework for budget initiatives and discusses how much progress has been made towards achieving the commitments declared in Copenhagen and Beijing. The paper makes a case for rethinking macroeconomics such that social policy becomes a constitutive element of macroeconomics. The authors further discuss the need for and role of people-centered budgets, pro-poor and gender-sensitive budgets. The lessons learned from these initiatives are brought forth as well as recommendations for future budget exercises. (Abstract from UN Women)

Topics: Economies, Economic Inequality, Gender Budgeting Regions: Africa, Southern Africa, Asia, Southeast Asia, Oceania Countries: Australia, Philippines, South Africa

Year: 2000

Citation:

Budlender, Debbie, and Guy Hewitt. 2002. Gender Budgets Make More Cents: Country Studies and Good Practice. London, UK: Commonwealth Secretariat.

Authors: Debbie Budlender, Guy Hewitt

Abstract:

This Commonwealth Secretariat publication by Debbie Budlender and Guy Hewitt (2002), documents "good practice" in gender budget work from across the globe. Practitioners share their first-hand experiences and in-depth knowledge of the why, where and how of gender responsive budget (GRB) initiatives. They reflect on both the challenges and successes of initiatives in the Andean region, Australia, Korea, Mexico, the Philippines, Rwanda, Scotland, South Africa and the UK. A chapter on the Commonwealth Secretariat's involvement in developing and implementing GRB initiatives is also included to suggest the role that can be played by external agencies at the national, regional and international level.

This book builds on a previous publication, Gender Budgets Make Cents, which was designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of GRB initiatives. It described the conceptual framework, evolution of the work and lessons learned, and provided brief summaries of country initiatives. Together, these titles show the importance of integrating a gender perspective into budgetary policies to promote equality between women and men. 

(Abstract from UN Women)

Topics: Gender, Gender Budgeting Regions: Africa, Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, Americas, North America, Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe, Northern Europe, Oceania Countries: Australia, Mexico, Philippines, Rwanda, South Africa, South Korea, United Kingdom

Year: 2002

Citation:

Shandra, John M., Carrie L. Shandra, and Bruce London. 2008. “Women, Non-Governmental Organizations, and Deforestation: A Cross-National Study.” Population and Environment 30 (1-2): 48–72.

Authors: John M. Shandra, Carrie L. Shandra, Bruce London

Abstract:

There have been several cross-national studies published in the world polity theoretical tradition that find a strong correlation between nations with high levels of environmental nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and low levels of various forms of environmental degradation. However, these studies neglect the role that women’s NGOs potentially play in this process. We seek to address this gap by conducting a cross-national study of the association between women’s NGOs and deforestation. We examine this relationship because deforestation often translates into increased household labor, loss of income, and impaired health for women and, as a result, women’s non-governmental organizations have become increasingly involved in dealing with these problems often by protecting forests. We use data from a sample of 61 nations for the period of 1990–2005. We find substantial support for world polity theory that both high levels of women’s and environmental NGOs per capita are associated with lower rates of deforestation. We also find that high levels of debt service and structural adjustment are correlated with higher rates of forest loss. We conclude with a discussion of findings, policy implications, and possible future research directions.

Keywords: deforestation, women, non-governmental organizations, cross-national

Topics: Economies, Environment, Extractive Industries, Gender, Women, NGOs Regions: Africa, MENA, Central Africa, East Africa, North Africa, Southern Africa, West Africa, Americas, Caribbean countries, Central America, North America, South America, Asia, East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe, Baltic states, Balkans, Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Oceania Countries: Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Hungary, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad & Tobago, Uganda, Uruguay, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Year: 2008

Citation:

Khan, Zohra. 2015. “Gender-Responsive Budgeting.” In The Oxford Handbook of Transnational Feminist Movements, edited by Rawwida Baksh and Wendy Harcourt, 485-506. New York: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199943494.013.022. 

Author: Zohra Khan

Abstract:

This chapter situates gender-responsive budgeting, or GRB, within the debates and research in feminist economics and analysis of macroeconomics, poverty and inequality. It traces the origins of GRB back to seminal experiences in Australia and South Africa that laid the foundation for more recent practice in countries including Ecuador, Morocco and Nepal. It looks at the actors, strategic alliances and partnerships that have supported the mushrooming of GRB around the world to show that one of the main strengths of this work is the transitional networking and coming together of feminists, inside and outside bureaucracies, in support of more and better resources for women. Charting the journey of GRB, it illustrates that where it has succeeded, it has resulted in better alignment between policy commitments and financing for gender equality. Some of main critiques of GRB are addressed and important questions about the future of this work are considered.

Keywords: gender-responsive budgeting, GRB, feminist economics, poverty inequality, women's organization, national women's machinery

Topics: Economies, Economic Inequality, Poverty, Gender, Women, Gender Budgeting, Gender Mainstreaming Regions: Africa, MENA, North Africa, Southern Africa, Americas, South America, Asia, South Asia, Oceania Countries: Australia, Ecuador, Morocco, Nepal, South Africa

Year: 2015

Citation:

Pittaway, Eileen, and Linda Bartolomei. 2001. “Refugees, Race, and Gender: The Multiple Discrimination against Refugee Women.” Refuge 19 (6): 21-32.

Authors: Eileen Pittaway, Linda Bartolomei

Abstract:

This paper examines the intersectionality of race and gender in refugee situations, and the multiple forms of discrimination experienced by refugee women. It explores the notion of racism as a root cause of refugee generation, and the gendered nature of the refugee experience. The manner in which racism and sexism intersect to compound the human rights violations that refugee women experience is explored in the treatment of sexual violence in international and domestic law and policy; during armed conflict; in refugee camps; in countries of first asylum; and in countries of resettlement. Using a case study of one strand of refugee policy in Australia, it illustrates the impact of this discrimination on refugee women. The forthcoming World Conference against Racism offers a unique opportunity for this phenomenon to be addressed by the international community.

Topics: Displacement & Migration, IDPs, Refugees, Refugee/IDP Camps, Gender, Gender-Based Violence, Health, Mental Health, Trauma, International Law, International Humanitarian Law (IHL), International Organizations, Race, Rights, Human Rights, Sexual Violence, Male Perpetrators, Rape, Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, SV against Women, Torture, Sexual Torture, Violence Regions: Asia, East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe, Balkans, Oceania Countries: Australia

Year: 2001