Clerk of the National Assembly, Mrs Cecilia N Mbewe says the Gender Responsive Planning and Budgeting (GRPB) is an important activity that helps to track the way that national budgets respond to women’s priorities and the way Governments use funds to among other things, reduce poverty, promote gender equality, reverse the spread of HIV and lower the rates of maternal and child mortality.

Speaking at a virtual training workshop on GRPB for selected members of staff of the National Assembly on Wednesday, 12th August, 2020, Mrs Mbewe reiterated that GRPB is essential in ensuring that the Government is accountable to its commitments made to women in line with various international commitments and conventions which include, Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the Southern African Development Community Protocol on Gender and Development.

She added that parliamentary staff play an important role in facilitating the work of Members of Parliament and therefore, urged staff to take such engagements seriously in order for them to execute their supportive role effectively.

And Ministry of Gender, Permanent Secretary, Dr Sastone Silomba stated that integration of gender at the initial stage of the budget process is fundamental as it provides comprehensive information about the needs of both women and men, boys and girls.  In this regard, he implored staff, being beacons of light for gender equality and women’s empowerment in development, to provide technical guidance to Members of Parliament regarding Gender Responsive Budgeting when approving the budget.  He added that a Gender Responsive Budget acknowledges the gender patterns in society and allocates funds to implement policies and programmes that will change these patterns in a way that moves towards a more gender equal society.

During the same ceremony, Oxfam Zambia Country Director, Ms Dailes Judge stated that a gender response budget is key in leveraging social transformation where national resources meet the aspirations and needs of the poor especially women and girls.  She added that the training would, among others, help the National Assembly to engage in the national budget process, fully equipped with a gender and fiscal justice lens.  Ms Judge was glad to note that the training would also create a space for National Assembly staff, especially those that support the budget committee to understand the budget cycle and how GBR can be imbedded throughout the cycle.

The Gender Responsive Planning and Budgeting (GRPB) was organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Gender and Oxfam Zambia as part of the efforts to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment through ensuring Gender Responsive Budgets.