Communiqué
Issued by Participants at a Four-Day Workshop
Towards a Gender Sensitive Budget Initiative for Nigeria:
A Government –
Civil Society Training Interface
Held at The Women Development Centre, Ogba, Lagos
From 7 to 11 July 2002
The 37 participants at the workshop were drawn from civil
society groups, the media and relevant government representatives in Southern
Nigeria, while resource persons were drawn from the Academia, International
organisations, Private sector and Government.
The workshop which was organised by the Centre for Democracy
& development (CDD) and sponsored by Heinrich Boell foundation, had the
following objectives:
To build a critical mass of civil society organisations that
understand issues of poverty, and the feminisation of poverty. A mass that can
understand, analyse & monitor the budget as a tool for national development.
Other objectives were building a civil society that can engage in advocacy work
towards a gender sensitive budgeting initiative in Nigeria. Civil society that
have links with and insight into the governmental process at the local, state
and federal levels as well as an international & development perspective to
issues of budgeting from a gender perspective.
Issues and Concerns
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The workshop noted with concern, the following critical
scenarios in Nigeria:
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There is the absence of budget analysis from a gender
perspective in the conception, preparation and implementation stages of
budgeting in Nigeria.
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The budgetary process in Nigeria currently lacks
openness, transparency and accountability.
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The 1999 Constitution does not make provisions for
participatory budgeting.
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The civil society lacks access to information with
which to engage with stakeholders for advocacy on budgets.
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There is an absence of an effective budget monitoring
mechanism.
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There exists a disconnect between the private sector,
civil societies, government and the academia on issues of budgeting and
budget analysis.
Workshop recommendations
The workshop, calls upon government to ensure:
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Affirmative action right from the level of budget
conception, preparation, implementation up to control and evaluation.
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The interaction of the care economy with the market
economy must be recognized when designing government budgets.
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That Machinery is put in place to facilitate
communication and collaborations between the ministries of Women Affairs
and other relevant ministries during budget preparations, monitoring and
evaluations.
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Ministries of women Affairs are given separate
budgetary allocations from other departments such as youth, sport, culture
etc.
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The content of social action and economic empowerment
programmes within each line Ministry’s budget is increased so as to meet
both basic and strategic needs of women and men.
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Partnership between the government and civil society
groups at every stage of the budget cycle.
Civil Society in turn must ensure that:
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Concerted efforts are made to ensure that gender
sensitive women and men represent women’s concerns at budgetary levels.
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Communities are mobilized for participation in the
budget process.
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Constitutional amendment process must reflect the need
to have clear parameters of due process that recognize gender sensitive
budgeting.
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There is an interface between civil society, the
Academia, The private Sector and the State through research and advocacy
programmes for gender sensitive budgeting.
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The media is utilized for budget awareness creation
towards mobilization of the mass of Nigerians.
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A budget monitoring and evaluation network is
established in Nigeria.
Signed………………………..
Committee Members
Anthony E.Ebuk Agnes Umukoro Yetunde Oladeinde
WHEDA Community Rights Action Project Global Family Project
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