Gender mainstreaming of policies and budgets

About the projects in "Gender mainstreaming" program:

Gender mainstreaming

Dedicated to evidence based policy making, CRPM developed the methodology for ex-post evaluation of policies and mainstreaming gender in regulatory impact assessments in the Western Balkan region. In this capacity, as partner of OSCE, CRPM has also contributed in the conceptualisation and training program development for generic training on these topics.

Partner: OSCE.

Gender participation models

Women, in general, do not demonstrate particular interest to directly participate in the local policy making through the mechanisms available. However, the reasons for their low participation should be further examined as the data shows they would like the municipal policies to address their needs and concerns, and they are in need of better information about the existing consultative processes and opportunities..

To contribute to engendering of the consultative mechanisms at local level, the Centre for Research and Policy Making – CRPM developed a gender mainstreaming approach that will allow for the policies developed at local level to reflect real needs of women by increasing their indirect and direct participation, rather than establishing formal participation of women within the municipal offices.

CRPM conducted the following activities:

Component 1- Assessment of practical and strategic needs of women;
Component 2- Development of tools for increased participation of women in local consultative processes;
Component 3 – Testing of the tools and capacity building of local officials.

Results of the action: Guidebook for gender participation models in local policy making focusing on surveys, open day, meeting with mayor, public debate, internet tools for participation (FB discussion, virtual meeting with the mayor); Engendered checklists and protocols; Infographics for gender participation models.

Partner: UN Women.

Achieving gender equality

The project employed Gender Analysis to assess six policy issues (gender and political participation/representation, gender and participation in secondary education, employment, effect of physical infrastructure on women’s use of time, gender perspective of the need to introduction of a sexual education, and inheritance rights) The second component of the project provided capacity building for all relevant parties in the process of policy making, regarding the importance and the tools for mainstreaming the gender sensitive approach in the policy making. Three training sessions were organized for:NGO representatives; Representatives of the municipal commissions on equal opportunities for women and men; Women members of the Parliament.

Donor: EU.

Related publication: Achieving gender equality in Macedonia

About the projects in "Rural women" program:

Baseline study

Baseline study: CRPM team has developed research methodology to gather of quantitative and qualitative evidence for depicting the realities of rural women’s lives. For that purpose, a Survey of rural women and men was conducted in rural areas in Macedonia and focus group discussions were held. The gathered data were cross analyzed with the official statistics, data from secondary sources (such as the mentioned studies) and background review of Laws, decrees and decisions, Annual reports from public bodies and reports from international organizations as well as civil society. All gathered data was analyzed and is presented in this baseline study. The study also analyzes different policy frameworks that respond, or do not respond, to the specific realities in which rural women live that have been depicted in the course of the project. Finally, the study offers policy recommendations that are expected to transform rural societies and improve livelihoods of rural women. The study and the recommendations were consulted with number of institutions (state and nonstate).

Donors: UNWomen.

Related publications:
Perspectives of women in rural areas

Women in agricultural sector

This study wants to fill the existing information gap on the role of women in the agricultural sector and to provide quantitative and qualitative data for formulating sound gender mainstreaming policy in this sector. To do so, the research team of the Centre for Research and Policy Making (hereinafter: CRPM) has reviewed all existing policies (on sectoral level as well as across all sectors- as it is the case with the policy for equal opportunities) and statistical indicators relevant to the area of study. However, the data available was poor to identify any interrelationships between genders and for example access to finance or land; the choice of farming as a profession as well as the decision making role of the women farmers in Macedonia. Therefore CRPM’s team developed a research methodology for generating data that reveal such relationships and allow for further analysis of gender participation in the agricultural sector as well as provide grounds for formulation of practical policy recommendations and advice.

Donor: EU.

About the projects in "Gender impact assessments using gender budgeting" program:

DRG and unpaid care work

DRG and unpaid care work: The first gender impact assessment was also conducted by CRPM in collaboration with UN Women aiming to: (i) invigorate discussion that led to ensuring policy support to the reform of the primary health services and establishment of community based care services that will mitigate the risk of increasing use of unpaid care performed by female family members; (ii) community based home care services policy model developed and functional in 5 municipalities based on analysis of the situation, factors and stakeholders as well as assess the financial implication of the establishment of such services on municipal level. Related publications “Diagnosis related groups and unpaid care work of women” in 2008 and “More care in primary health! More community care centres!”, and DRG movie.

On evidence of application of the RBM: The policy advocacy within the Project: “Diagnosis related groups and unpaid care work of women” resulted with adoption of Bylaw on home care service delivery “Правилник за нормативите и стандардите за простор, опрема, стручни кадри и средства потребни за основање и започнување со работа на установа за социјална заштита – центар за давање помош во домашни услови”.

Donor: UN Women

Through Gender lenses

CRPM’s dedicated work on enhancing civil society proactive work through strengthened networking using GRB methods has stimulated cooperation with local government and shaped local policies and budgets addressing the different needs of women and men, especially of most vulnerable and marginalized groups in 17 targeted municipalities (Delchevo, Makedoska Kamenica, Kavadarci, Negotino, Radovish, Gevgelija, Struga, Vevchani, Krushevo, Krivogashtani, Chair, Shuto Orizari, Ilinden, Staro Nagorichane, Lipkovo, Brvenica & Tearce). The project implemented 2020-2024 was in sync and further strengthened the capacities of existing non formal network of Gender Budget Watchdog Network (GBWN) by expanding its membership to CSOs from the target municipalities and representing the interest of the rural women and men, poor women and men, women and men with disabilities, minority women and men (ethnic, religious, sexual) and women and men from vulnerable age groups: young and the elderly citizens.

Specifically, the project mobilized citizens in participatory processes and contributed to local level decision making by appraising gender budget and policy initiatives aiming at social inclusion and enhance gender equality. It also built CSO capacity to use GRB tools to evaluate the correspondence between policies and budgets and the needs of men and women. Finally, it promoted GBWN in monitoring public finance spending on local level and strengthen their advocacy efforts.

Donor: EU, CEI.

About the projects in "Gender impact assessments using gender budgeting" program:

Gender Budget Watchdog Network (GBWN)

The Gender Budget Watchdog Network –GBWN is a flagship initiative of CRPM that brings together 100 civil society organizations from seven countries and aims to strengthen the role of CSOs as an interest group that contributes to increasing accountability and transparency and improving the management of public funds. 

We are building the capacities of CSOs in order to increase their participation in policy-making and budgeting processes through the use of gender watchdog reporting and networking. As gender responsible budgeting is a method of paying and spending public money in a large number of countries, our work is relevant not only for the region but also globally. There is no other network organization that uses gender budgeting tools when assessing the compatibility of policies and budgets with the needs of men and women, so our work is unique and there is a great interest in replicating it in other regions where we currently do not work. That’s why we have recently become an active network in policy advocacy, sharing knowledge and information on an international level. 

Therefore, the GBWN program aims at strengthening the role of CSOs as stakeholders who contribute to increasing accountability and transparency and improving public money management by monitoring and assessing the impact of gender policies and budgets on gender equality. 

www.gbwn.net

Donors: ADA and SIDA

About the projects in "Violence against women " program:

Policy dialogue

Policy dialogue for approximation of legislation with Istanbul convention and costing of services for prevention and protection from gender based violence

In the period 2017-2022 CRPM implemented a program that facilitated policy dialogue, provided policy advise and advocated for approximation of Macedonian legislation with Istanbul Convention. The objectivedf was to provide advocacy and expert level dialogue with Government and Parliament to amend existing legislation in the field of gender based violence and gender based discrimination in line with international standards, human rights mechanism recommendations (UPR, CEDAW, CAT, CERD, CCPR), EU Directives and Istanbul Convention. For that purpose, the project team has developed tailored-made methodology based on the human rights principles and adopting the advocacy/participatory approach in fulfilling the tasks.

After years of lobbying and collaborative work between Ministry of Justice, the working group for changes of the Criminal code, the civil society and Parliament; the changes of the Criminal code were adopted which align Macedonian criminal law regulations with the Istanbul convention. We can finally say that the changes are defining the gender-based violence against women; and the victims of gender-based violence as well as economic and psychological violence are enumerated in the definitions as types of family violence.

What is more the changes of the Criminal Code are for the first time criminalizing murder of girls and women within gender based violence (i.e. femicide in art. 123); women’s genital mutilation (in art. 129a); stalking (in art. 144a); advances the regulation on sexual violence, Sexual harassment (in art. 190a) including on-line and non-consensual sexual acts and rape (in art. 186) including incriminating rape of current or previous spouse or intimate partner.

Related publications:
GAP Analysis

About the projects in "Gender impact assessments using gender budgeting" program:

Young Man Initiative

Young Men Initiative (YMI) is a regional platform of organizations, convened by CARE International Balkans. It started as a project in 2006 and it is being implemented in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Serbia, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia and Albania.

It builds on CARE´s comprehensive and programmatic efforts to prevent interpersonal and gender-based violence as well as to promote gender equality in the region.

For over a decade, YMI has been targeting youth to build their knowledge and attitudes concerning gender equality, violence and healthy lifestyles and to decrease levels of all types of violence.

Since the beginning, over 10 000 high-school students from 130 communities participated in gender transformative programs that CARE implemented in cooperation with local partners. Over the years, we have cooperated with a variety of stakeholders and realized that there is an emerging need for embracing a joint approach toward this sensitive topic in the Balkans.

From 2007 to the present, Young Men Initiative (YMI) has been working to build more gender-equitable attitudes and behaviours amongst young men and decrease both violence by young men (against young women) and peer violence (violence by young men against other young men).

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