Gender Budgeting

Budget 2017's Gender Statement sets out how Canadian policies have failed women in the past, and outlines how decisions made in the current Budget 2018 were informed by gender considerations. With this historic statement, the government of Canada signalled its renewed commitment to reviewing policies, programs, services and legislation for gender-specific impacts. Every policy, law or regulation going to cabinet must be examined for its gender impact taking age, income, culture, Aboriginal heritage, ethnicity, and all other relevant intersecting factors into account.

But the work does not end there. Organizations and governments must now perform gender based analysis and understand how to engage in or perform gender budgeting. This process includes

• the central budget office identifying gender-specific policies and initiatives needed to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women and other disadvantaged groups
• departments using these policies to set gender-specific priorities for budget allocations

The goal is to incorporate gender impact analysis at all levels of the budgeting process and at all levels of an organization or government. Budgets are broken down (or disaggregated) to show the different impacts on women, girls, men and boys, and different groups of women/girls and men/boys. Budgets are adjusted to mitigate imbalances. The budget is adjusted to support policies and priorities.

As Director Generals, Financial Officers and Policy Analysts work to produce gender budget proposals and impact reports, new and daunting challenges emerge

• How do you determine central long-term policies and priorities?
• What if no relevant gender disaggregated data exists?
• How do you run a consultation process that will provide reliable data?
• What unintended consequences of gender budgeting should you beware of?
• Have you included intersecting variables and subgroups?
• How do you map gaps around data, research, issues, funding and process?
• How do you use time use data and other sources of gender-specific data to investigate how economic gender equality can be attained?
• What are the different ways of doing cost/benefit analysis that measures gaps in different ways for different budget lines?
• How do you handle expenditures and revenue in your budget?
• And, in the end, how do you measure progress (or regress) from budget to budget?

INFONEX's comprehensive two-day Gender Budgeting program will be the ideal forum for obtaining insights and solutions to these complex problems and more. A faculty of analysts with worldwide expertise will draw on their experience to provide examples and ideas that will help you take this bull by the horns.

Information experts will help you find reliable sources of disaggregated statistics and indicators. You will hear:

• how statistics on education, incomes, care responsibilities, transportation, unpaid and paid work time, and family composition can be used to identify socioeconomic barriers
• how to integrate gender equality into budget frameworks to figure out gender impact using specific budget categories
• how to estimate, in monetary terms, how the level of government services compares to the costs of the needs for those services
• how to measure progress from budget to budget.

Take a moment to review the agenda. Take this important opportunity to invest in your long-term expertise in this new and difficult area. Join experts who have the important information, insights and strategies you need to meet the complex challenge ahead. Register now and the up-front investment of time will allow you to perform more professionally and decisively in the months and years ahead. You will return to your office with new confidence, inspired by what you have heard over the course of this information packed program Register today!