26 August 2022
Media Statement
Rustenburg: Government is in a continuous process to undo the marginalization of women injustice and although this has been a slow process, it is gaining momentum. We are beginning to see the fruits of our labour where women are being considered for opportunities that were historically set aside for our male counterparts as government processes are now enabling gender-based budgeting.
The provincial administration has made strides to ensure that the provincial budget is geared towards the efforts of gender mainstreaming. At all stages of the budget cycle planning and fiscal strategy, budget preparation, budget execution, review, and external control gender-specific analysis and instruments are integrated.
Addressing the North West Provincial SALGA Women’s Commission Lekgotla, Finance MEC Motlalepula Rosho said that gender-based-budgeting is a key pillar of the 1995 Beijing Platform of Action new approach to gender based budgeting, which was defined at the Southern African Development Community Protocol on Gender and Development (2012) as “the use of fiscal policy and fiscal administration to advance gender equality”.
She said that women’s development calls for an explicit incorporation of gender issues through adaptation and reinforcement of existing institutions and tools.
Rosho said that the Provincial Treasury has ensured that other than personnel budgets, included in the Provincial Departmental baseline budgets, the allocations for projects that are geared towards Gender, Youth and Disabilities are as per the mandates/functions of departments and will be in line with Supply Chain Management (SCM) prescripts.
Noting the strides achieved, Rosho said “we are currently challenged as a province to have the ability to measure or locate the budget in relation to gender mainstreaming since the provincial allocation has not yet reached the ideal gender mainstreaming based budgeting stage. Provincial Treasury consistently implores on provincial departments to identify and allocate budgets on programmes that are responsive towards gender mainstreaming.
The department constantly analyses budgets and expenditure to assess the responsiveness to the priorities of gender mainstreaming. We further require constant guidance from National Treasury working closely with Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME) and The Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities (DWYPD) to ensure that we are able to reach our goals of budgeting in line gender mainstreaming prescripts.
She concluded by saying that gender-based budgeting does note advocate for separate budget for women and girls. It however requires that the needs of women and girls must be prioritised in the allocations made by government and business.
End
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Issued by North West Provincial Treasury
Contact: Ms. Kesalopa Gill
0795486352 | 0183883584 | kgill@nwpg.gov.za | www.treasury.nwpg.gov.za