ZWRCN was one of 13 organisations from around the world that benefitted from a US$27.5 million grant unveiled by the Fund for
Gender Equality (FGE) last week to fast track action on national laws and policies to advance gender equality.
FGE allocated US$1.68 million for ZWRCNs Gender Budgeting and Womens Empowerment Programme which aims to offer skills training on gender-responsive budgeting for government officials, lobby for increased budget allocations to finance womens priorities in 32 selected sector ministries and work with civil society organizations to enact gender-budget monitoring and accountability mechanisms.
Under Zimbabwes fragile political conditions, the programme will equip targeted ministries with the tools and strategies necessary to directly address the needs of 15 000 women living in poverty, FGE said last week.
The programme advocates for the adoption of laws to significantly increase the number of women in decision-making positions related to budgets and budgeting policies.
The awarding of the grant came a week before Finance Minister Tendai Biti presents his mid-year review of the 2010 budget.
Biti will present the mid-term budget statement on July 15 amid great expectations from a restive population keen on seeing an improvement of living standards.
He is expected to come up with measures to rein in mounting inflationary pressures that have seen prices rising sharply during the
past few months. Other projects that received the grants are in Rwanda, Liberia, Egypt, China, Cambodia, India, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kyrgyzstan, Brazil, Mexico, Bolivia and Jamaica.
Supported by donations from the governments of Spain and Norway, the FGE is managed by the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM).
Post published in: Politics