UN Women with the Ministry of Family and Social Servicews kicks off three-year gender-responsive budgeting project in Turkey

Together with the Ministry of Family and Social Services, UN Women Turkey launched the three-year project, "Implementing Gender Responsive Planning and Budgeting in Turkey" on 17 August in Ankara, Turkey’s capital. The project aims to eradicate gender inequalities and create a society where everyone has access to equal rights, opportunities, and services.

Co-financed by the European Union and UN Women, the project is implemented by UN Women in collaboration with the Ministry of Family and Social Services – Directorate General on the Status of Women, and the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey - Presidency of Strategy and Budget. The project's main objective is to empower women and further strengthen gender equality in Turkey through systematic and sustainable integration of gender perspectives at all stages of national and local policy-making and budgeting processes.

3 Million 300 thousand Euros allocated for the Project

Guided by the "Leaving No One Behind" principle of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the project promotes a gender-responsive implementation of the Agenda, particularly in policy and budget planning processes, and supports the objectives of Turkey's XI. Development Plan covering 2019-2023. €3.300.000 is allocated for the three-year project that will be implemented with ministries, local authorities, and the civil society.

The Minister of Family and Social Services Derya Yanık participated at the launch event and made a statement on the project's importance and objectives, "Gender-responsive budgeting is about reviewing existing budgeting through a gender perspective and revising the budgets according to the different needs of women and men. With gender-responsive budgeting, we aim to provide services that meet the different needs of women and men. This is the overall objective of our Project."

Speaking at the event, UN Women Turkey Country Director Asya Varbanova emphasized the importance of gender-responsive budgeting and planning to achieve sustainable development, "To achieve gender equality, we need to address the new and old challenges, we need new solutions, comprehensive and sustainable actions, and a true multi-stakeholder effort. Through this 3-year project, our objective is to institutionalize a gender-responsive approach to policy, planning and budgeting at the central and local levels. Our joint approach will enable us to address some of the remaining obstacles to gender equality in Turkey."

What is gender-responsive budgeting?

Gender-responsive budgeting (GRB) is an application of gender mainstreaming in the budgetary processes. It aims to create effective planning and budgeting through allocating sufficient resources for the different needs of women and men. It aims to create a society where gender equality is achieved, and women and men enjoy equal rights, services, and opportunities.

GRB approach doesn’t mean preparing separate budgets for women or men, dividing the budget equally between women and men or setting up a new budgeting system. GRB enables budgeting and planning processes to incorporate a gender perspective at all levels and meets diff­erent needs and priorities of women and men.