gender budget analysis in the UK

HM Treasury (the UK Ministry of Finance) has made a commitment to the use of the gender budgeting approach. In response to an OECD questionnaire on Gender Mainstreaming, Competitiveness and Growth, October 2000, HM Treasury described the WBG as a 'key feature of the consultation process with respect to gender'.

The WBG embraces this role and uses it as an opportunity to ensure that gender is considered and included within all aspects of economic policy-making. We work with the HM Treasury to encourage a gender budget for the UK by advising and consulting with HM Treasury officials and meeting with HM Treasury Ministers.

The WBG seeks to reveal how apparently gender neutral models and policy-making tools may have an implicit gender bias. For example, a gender budget analysis of new Deal programmes in the UK revealed that only 8% of funding for these programmes go to lone parents, of whom 95% are female. Yet 57% of funds go to young people, of whom only 27% are female.

The UK WBG has close links with the Welsh Gender Budgets Group and the Scottish Women's Budget Group.

Gender Analysis of Expenditure Project

The WBG has been lobbying HM Treasury to run a pilot gender budget initiative. In spring 2003, in conjunction with the Women and Equality Unit, they launched a pilot Gender Analysis of Expenditure Project (GAP) across several departments. Members and staff of the WBG worked closely with HM Treasury providing technical advice and assisting with project management. The Final Report of the Gender Analysis of Expenditure Project was published in July 2004.