Monrovia — Integrity Watch Liberia has begun a two-day capacity-building training for civil society organizations on the budget platform with an aim to develop a gender-responsive shallow budget option paper.
The two-day event is being funded by the UN Women brought together several individuals from government institutions and different civil society organizations.
Speaking at the event, the Policy Analyst of Integrity Watch Liberia Ralph Jimeh said Gender-responsive budget is a key adding that it works for everyone.
According to him, the resources can be divided equally, something he stressed is very essential, both for gender Justice and physical Justice.
He also praised UN Women for funding the project adding women have to know what their rights are. "Too often the issue of gender has been pushed aside. We have to realize that there is a need for equal distribution of the resources.
Also speaking the UN Women Deputy Country Representative Madam Pamela Mkwamba said: "When you talk about the budget you talk about our lives."
According to Madam Mkwamba, the national budget goes to programs and other developments like economic stability, social welfare and so on.
UN Women Deputy Country Representative furthers that the lack of budget credibility undermines the progress of growth adding that the budget should benefit everyone in the country.
"As you participate in this training you need to take it seriously because it will cause public debate in the country," she said.
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Madam Kai stressed that the issues of women should not be put aside. "Let's include women in decision-making on the national level for a strong and healthy economy.
Madam Loretta Aletha Pope Kai is the Civic Society Council Chair. She said the training is very important adding that before civil society actors engage actively they need to know the background of the budget as it relates to gender.
"This will provide the opportunity for civil society to strengthen its capacity," she said.
According to Madam Kai, "Anything that subscribes to the gender budget will mean good for its citizens. Active citizen engagement about the budget will be able to impact more effectively."
Also, Madam Carolyn M. Zoduah of the Ministry of Finance says the government is committed to institutionalizing the gender-responsive secretariat. She says the government has started public participation in fiscal management.
"This will empower civil society actors," she says. According to her, the government is in the process of designing public participation in the discussions of the budget beginning with five counties to know the importance of areas like health, agriculture and so on.
