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Promoting Gender Responsive Policies and Budgets


Switzerland, through a contribution to UN Women for 2023-2026, supports central and local governments of North Macedonia to advance gender equality through gender-responsive legislation and by practicing gendered budgeting processes: citizens, especially women, and civil society organizations will be strengthened to exercise their voice in decision-making through policy dialogue. Oversight institutions will also be capacitated to better monitor the implementation of gender-responsive budgeting processes. 

Country/region Topic Period Budget
North Macedonia
Gender
Governance
Women’s equality organisations and institutions
Public sector policy
Decentralisation
01.04.2023 - 31.03.2026
 CHF  1’550’000
The project in brief
Background North Macedonia has committed to achieve gender equality by signing CEDAW and the UN Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA): it has made considerable progress regarding the normative framework on gender equality by aligning with International Human Rights standards, revising the policy framework to integrate gender perspectives into sector dialogue and sectoral strategies, policy revisions and ongoing reforms. However, poverty remains a challenge in North Macedonia: this is emphasized within specific population groups such as rural women, single mothers, youth, older workers, ethnic communities, persons with disabilities. Gender inequalities are very prominent in the sphere of economic participation, paid and unpaid work. While the Government prioritized gender specific objectives in national strategic documents, gender gaps and inequalities remain evident in all spheres of socio-economic and political life, mainly because of lack of implementation. Further significant efforts are needed to implement gender equality legislation, policies and standards through policy dialogue. 
Objectives The people of North Macedonia, especially women and girls, benefit from accountable and transparent gender responsive governance.
Target groups

Directly targeted 

  • Budget and finance unit in the Ministry of Finance
  • Civil servants and elected officials in select line ministries and local self-government units
  • 40+ Municipal Committees for: Financing, Budget & Local Economic Development, Equal Opportunities
  • MPs and municipal councillors 
  • CSOs and women activists. 

Indirectly, the population of North Macedonia (with a focus on women and LNOB groups) 
Medium-term outcomes

Outcome 1: Central and local government institutions advance gender equality applying gender sensitive budgeting processes.

Outcome 2: Women and civil society organizations exercise their voice and gain agency in decision making and designing state and municipal budgets.
Results

Expected results:  

  • Ministry of Finance is enabled to implement the gender provisions of the Law on State Budget. 
  • Civil servants in select institutions are able to practice gender budgeting.
  • MPs are capacitated to oversee the implementation of gender budgeting provisions. 
  • Women, including the most vulnerable groups, are empowered to voice their needs and participate in planning and budgeting processes. 
  • Local governments are able to apply gender budgeting tools in the policy and budgetary processes.


Results from previous phases:   Significant results were achieved both on systemic and on technical level. The most impactful is the inclusion of gender-sensitive budgeting provisions in the new Law on State Budget. Other results include: 1. Establishment of the first Gender Budgeting Resource Center; 2. Six municipal Gender Equality Strategies developed and adopted; 3. The first Gender Performance Audit was conducted; 4. Technical capacities-knowledge on gender mainstreaming and GRB were increased, reaching over 300 public servants at central level and over 500 municipal administration and officials at local level. 


Directorate/federal office responsible SDC
Project partners Contract partner
Private sector
United Nations Organization (UNO)
  • Foreign private sector North
  • United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women


Coordination with other projects and actors
  • 7F-08397.02 Empowering Municipal Councils
  • 7F-08790.01 Parliament Support Programme
  • 7F-10244.01Strengthening Municipal Resilience to Corruption 
Budget Current phase Swiss budget CHF    1’550’000 Swiss disbursement to date CHF    1’220’232
Project phases Phase 2 01.04.2023 - 31.03.2026   (Current phase) Phase 1 15.07.2018 - 31.03.2023   (Completed)
  • Sector according to the OECD Developement Assistance Commitiee categorisation GOVERNMENT AND CIVIL SOCIETY
    GOVERNMENT AND CIVIL SOCIETY
    GOVERNMENT AND CIVIL SOCIETY
    Sub-Sector according to the OECD Developement Assistance Commitiee categorisation
    Women's equality organisations and institutions
    Public sector policy and administrative management
    Decentralisation and support to subnational government (incl. accountability)
    Aid Type Mandate without fiduciary fund
    Project and programme contribution
    Project number

    7F09583

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Last update 02.08.2024