MAMPU Held Gender-Responsive Budgeting Advocacy Training

MAMPU in collaboration with National Development Planning Agency (BAPPENAS) and Indonesian Forum for Budget Transparency (SEKNAS FITRA) held Gender Responsive Advocacy Training from 21–to 24 November 2016.  This program aimed to strengthen MAMPU’s partners capacities in safeguarding the integration of gender responsive budgeting planning for local development.

The event was attended by 35 people from 19 cities. Representatives of MAMPU, its partners and SEKNAS FITRA were among the attendees. Yenny Sucipto, Secretary General of SEKNAS FITRA and Misbahul Hasan, Research Manager of SEKNAS FITRA were the keynote speakers of the event. Data and Publication Coordinator of FITRA, Yenti Nurhidayat was the moderator in this four-day event.

On the first day, the participants were given an overview on human rights and concept of gender equality. They also practiced to capture the strategic issues involved in proposing budget. They were very enthusiastic when they received the material in this session.

Tati Winarti, a representative of The Indonesian Women’s Coalition for Justice and Democracy (KPI) Bengkulu revealed the gender gap occurred in her area.

“I am glad to be here and to have the opportunity to say a few words. In my region, women were not allowed to join the development planning meeting (Musrenbangdes). I hope through this training, we will be able to give better understandings about gender equality to public. Women could also contribute in village policy and budgeting planning,” Tati said.

By the following day, information on budget planning at district and national level were delivered. In this session, participants worked as a group and analysed the process and the actors involved in budget submission.

On the third day, the keynote speakers from SEKNAS FITRA introduced several tools of gender responsive budgeting and encouraged the participants to practice in analysing various elements in government budget.

Participants were encourage to discuss about Law No.6/2014 on The Village Law in the last day. This session focused on managing village natural resources and how to arrange the budget.

In general, participants were expected to be able to analyse government budget in correlation with MAMPU’s strategic thematic areas. Hopefully, through this knowledge the participants can overcome disparities in access, participation and control in development.

“We hope that through this training participants will be able to read and arrange a budget plan in their regions,” Misbahul Hasan said.