GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT Concepts, Policies, Principles and Mandates GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT: AN EXECUTIVE APPRECIATION Commission on Audit May 19, 2009
OBJECTIVES 1. Better understanding, appreciation and support to government’s gender equality policy and strategies 2. Improved capability to use the GAD Budget
COVERAGE The GAD budget: Making it work (without tears) GAD concepts, principles, and mandates The GAD budget: Making it work (without tears)
GAD concepts, principles, and mandates Part I GAD concepts, principles, and mandates
Attaining a full and satisfying life for all! What’s the bottomline? DEVELOPMENT: What’s the bottomline? Attaining a full and satisfying life for all!
of everyone, regardless of Attaining a full and satisfying life for all is a shared responsibility... of everyone, regardless of age, sex, religion, ethnicity or class of government as duly mandated authority of those who benefit or suffer from the lack of it
the capacity TO DO and the capacity TO BE For individuals, the performance of this responsibility requires: the capacity TO DO and the capacity TO BE
protecting people’s rights For governments, the responsibility to promote the attainment of a full and satisfying life for all means -- protecting people’s rights creating opportunities for the development of peoples’ abilities and individual strengths
building of roads and other infrastructures, Peoples’ capacity TO DO and TO BE may be enhanced through a variety of government efforts, such as: building of roads and other infrastructures, providing social services, creating economic opportunities, etc. BUT THESE ARE NOT ENOUGH . . .
Infrastructures, social services, and economic opportunities that don’t take into consideration the different needs of women and men and their rights, are bound to -- disadvantage women, fail in attaining their desired results, and cause wastage of resources.
GENDER: What is it?
SEX refers to natural biological attributes of women and men; GENDER is often confused with SEX, but they are different SEX refers to natural biological attributes of women and men; unchanging and universal GENDER refers to characteristics, roles, beliefs, perceptions, attitudes and other factors attributed to women and men by society
GENDER: What’s the big fuss? culturally ascribed, changing, misconceived as “natural” box and limit women and men’s capabilities to do and to be need to be considered in making decisions and allocating resources
Then, what is Gender and Development? a globally - recognized development perspective; acknowledges that development affects people differently women’s roles are important and should be maximized women and men should be assisted in attaining their full potentials advocates that planning deliberately address the unique needs and situations of women
GAD is about recognizing that gender biases IMPEDE development because: they prevent people from attaining their full potentials they exacerbate social inequity they distort understanding of social realities and limit the impacts of development efforts
GAD is about being faithful to the principle that: development is for all!
Full equality and development for women and men is anchored on a vision of development that is equitable, sustainable, and free from violence, respectful of human rights, supportive of self-determination, and the actualization of human potentials, and participatory and empowering..
Development planning and practice should: KEY PRINCIPLES Development planning and practice should: deliberately ADDRESS OBSTACLES to women’s effective participation and enjoyment f benefits EXPAND women’s range of CHOICES and OPPORTUNITIES STRENGTHEN their capabilities to attain a full and satisfying life BRIDGE the gender gap PROMOTE gender equality
CEDAW Concluding Comments Translation of CEDAW in national legislation Revision of discriminatory provisions in national laws Strengthening of the national machinery on women Elimination of violence against women Elimination of gender stereotyping Implementation of the Anti-trafficking in Persons Act and elimination of exploitation in prostitution Elimination of exploitation in prostitution
CEDAW Concluding Comments Promotion and protection of women migrants’ rights Participation of women in public and political life Lessening the adverse impact of trade liberalization to women Promotion and protection of women’s reproductive health and rights Empowerment of rural, indigenous and Muslim women Acquisition of legal divorce Engendering the MDGs Linking CEDAW, BPFA and MDG
Beijing Platform of Action, 1995 (4th World Conference on Women Strategic actions to realize women’s advancement in 12 areas: - poverty - education and training - health - violence against women - armed conflict - institutional mechanisms - human rights - power and decision making - media - economy - environment - girl child
MDGs GOAL 3: Promote gender equality and empower women GOAL 5: Improve maternal health
Constitution The State recognizes the role of women in nation building and shall promote the fundamental equality before the law of women and men (Art. II, Sec. 14)
Part II GAD BUDGET POLICIES Making GAD Budget Work
MANDATES ON THE GAD BUDGET RA 7192 (Women in Development and Nation Building Act) “In support of the full benefits of gender-responsive planning, external and domestic resources shall be increasingly mobilized for utilization by national and local government agencies to support programs and projects for women.”
RA 7192 All government agencies shall review and revise all their regulations, circulars, issuances, and procedures to remove gender biases therein Allocate 5-30 percent of ODA to programs and projects for women
Executive Order 273 (Philippine Plan for Gender-responsive Development, 1995-2025) “All government agencies, departments, bureaus, offices and instrumentalities, including government-owned and controlled corporations, at the national and local levels are directed to incorporate GAD concerns in their annual budget proposals and work and financial plans.”
EO 273 To institutionalize GAD efforts in government by incorporating GAD concerns, as spelled out in the Plan, in their planning, programming and budgeting processes to: … incorporate GAD … in agency performance contracts indicating KRAs for GAD … and annual agency budget proposals and work and financial plans (EO 273, 1 - 1.2.2)
Section 29, General Appropriations Act (GAA), 2009 “All departments, including their attached agencies, offices, bureaus, SUCs, GOCCs, LGUs and other instrumentalities shall formulate a GAD Plan designed to address gender issues.. The cost of implementing the GAD Plan shall be at least 5% of the agency’s FY 2009 budget appropriations
DBM, NEDA and NCRFW Joint Circular 2004-01 Provides NGAs/SUCs/GOCCs with (a) Guidelines and procedures for the formulation and submission of agency annual GAD plans and budgets, and GAD accomplishment reports (b) Mechanics for the development of PAPs that promote gender-responsive governance, women’s human rights and women’s economic empowerment
Why a GAD Budget?
Attaining gender equality requires systematic planning A plan, no matter how great it is, is only as good as its implementation
… a GAD plan without a budget is a joke! A plan without a budget cannot be implemented effectively if it does not have a budget Thus, … a GAD plan without a budget is a joke!
A GAD Plan is a MUST in GAD budgeting. A GAD budget without a GAD plan is a disaster.
The GAD budget is the cost of implementing the GAD Plan.
CHALLENGES GAD plans submitted only for compliance Lack of sex-disaggregated data crucial for gender analysis and GAD planning Weak political and popular support Limited technical capabilities and expertise of agencies and LGUs on gender planning and budgeting Inability to influence mainstream macro policies and programs and total budget Lack of mechanisms to track progress and measure impact; monitoring
WAYS FORWARD with COA
The Gender Budgeting Forum of May 2008… The Philippines as FIRST in Asia to conduct a Gender Budget Audit Affirmed COA as a POWERFUL BODY to monitor and prevent agencies from misuse of the GAD budget The GAD FOCAL POINT of CLARRDEC was reinstated as a result of COA’s Gender Budget Audit
ACTIONS FOR COA Issue the guidelines for Gender budget audit Include state obligations to human rights treaties incl CEDAW Include ODA and GAA Continue calling attention of agencies and LGUs re GAD budget in audit findings Document good practices in utilization of the GAD budget
Thank You!