By Nyasha Dube
Women in mining communities have been sensitized on Gender Responsive budgeting, in preparation for the 2024 local and national budget cycle.
This also comes at a time when a number of local authorities have already kick started the 2024 budget consultation meetings, where they engage residents to get their input regarding how the councils will allocate funds to respective focus areas.
There has always been public outcry over local authorities’ lack of prioritization of important social services such as health care, refuse collection and water provision among others, and women always bear the brunt because of their gender.
In a discussion organized by Marange Women’s Alliance, Fadzi Midzi from the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA) defined Gender Responsive Budgeting as the ability to identify the needs of specific genders when budgeting, saying this enables gender equality and equity.
“Gender Responsive Budgeting allows us to allocate and distribute resources in a manner that considers issues of equality and equity, and at the same time ensuring that there is sustainable and just development, meaning a development which is needed at that specific time. For councils to be gender responsive they need to be aware of the gender needs in communities,” Midzi said.
Midzi added that all this can be achieved through public consultation, and urged women to voice out their needs and concerns.
“Local authorities will be consulting you on the national budget, this is when you should speak out on your needs. Your responsibility is to attend these meetings and actively participate. The responsibility also lies with councillors who will debate on these issues, and the council to forward these issues to the responsible ministries,” she said.
Midzi added that all this can be achieved through public consultation, and urged women to voice out their needs and concerns.
“Local authorities will be consulting you on the national budget, this is when you should speak out on your needs. Your responsibility is to attend these meetings and actively participate. The responsibility also lies with councillors who will debate on these issues, and the council to forward these issues to the responsible ministries,” she said.
Midzi also emphasized o the issue of timely allocation of funds to local authorities.
“As community monitors, advocates and the public it’s important to understand the implications of fiscal decisions on different genders. If a minister does not provide the needed resources then there won’t be effective provision of social and economic services. This raises then need for gender analysis to the formulation and implementation of government budgets as they guide how funds are allocated and distribu. d every year,” Midzi said.
She also spoke on the need to consider social groups which are more marginalized, citing an example of women with disabilities.
“There is need to understand the whole value chain of gender needs. For example we can’t have a mothers’ shelter which has no doctor or gynecologist to assist the pregnant women, or does not have ramps to cater for pregnant women who use wheelchairs, the shelter won’t serve its purpose. It’s not always about big things such as infrastructure but we also need to consider those small things which make sure that services are gender responsive. We also need to start observing services around us and assess whether they are gender responsive or not,” Midzi said.