Local Changes for Equality - Women Changing the Way Communities Plan Their Development

Gender-responsive budgeting may sound like another technical term, but in reality, it has very concrete meaning – that public money spent by communities takes into account the different needs of women and men, children and the elderly, those who have and those who do not have equal access to services and opportunities. In practice, this means that budgets are not neutral but more equitable and sensitive to the real differences in people's experiences.

When planning budgets, the traditional approach often ignores the fact that different groups of citizens have different needs and challenges. Women may need additional support in entrepreneurship, older citizens specific healthcare services, and young parents accessible childcare. Gender-responsive budgeting recognizes these differences and seeks to allocate funds in a way that provides the best opportunities for both men and women, as budgets should be intended for all citizens and tailored to their needs.

The project “Transformative Financing for Gender Equality in the Western Balkans,” implemented by UN Women in BiH from 2020 to 2025 with the support of Sweden, has enabled local communities and institutions to take the first concrete steps in this direction. In Trebinje, Sarajevo, and Tešanj, women in leadership positions in their local communities speak about what these changes have brought to their institutions and how they have opened up space for further development.

Trebinje: From Theory to Practice

In Trebinje, the acting head of the Department of Culture, Slađana Skočajić, says that through the project they became acquainted with practical tools that helped them integrate gender equality into everyday planning. "We were fortunate to live in a fairly open community where women have the opportunity to express themselves, but it was valuable for us to learn how to formally define the space for their more active involvement in economic flows, to encourage them as entrepreneurs and public workers," she points out.

The trainings, she adds, were particularly useful because they immediately showed both the process and the results of these activities and their impact on the overall community climate. The city administration already shows a high degree of gender balance in leadership positions, which has created a good foundation for further changes.

Concrete results have not been lacking. In October 2023, the City of Trebinje adopted a Gender Action Plan, while a new version of the document is awaiting adoption in September of this year. "We believe that the Gender Action Plan is the basis for gender-responsive budgeting as well. Our plan is that as a socially responsible community, this year we will also try to make gender-responsive budgeting more concrete," adds Skočajić, emphasizing that in her department, which has been practicing program budgeting for two years, there are good prerequisites for integrating gender-sensitive components.

Sarajevo: Systemic Solutions 

For the Ministry of Finance of the Sarajevo Canton, the project was an opportunity to improve the visibility of gender-responsive projects in the budget and improve the understanding of gender-responsive budget items. Amina Moćević, Assistant Minister for Budget and Fiscal System, explains that education for employees of the Ministry and budget users was key to capacity building. "These educations contributed to a better understanding and better gender-responsive budgeting," she says, adding that gender-responsive budgeting has already been included in the Budget for 2024.

She particularly emphasizes the systemic solutions that have been established through the project. One that is significant is the software integration interface, worth 150,000 KM. "With the implementation of the software integration interface, good preconditions have been created for targeting gender-responsive positions and projects in the budget in the future," explains Moćević. Gender-responsive budgeting is included in the budget instructions for the period 2026-2028, which ensures continuity and sustainability of the process.

However, Moćević reminds us that such processes are long-term and require constant education because changing the culture in an institution takes a long time, and constant external factors and changes require consistency.

Tešanj: New Perspective

Almira Prnjavorac from the Service for Cadastre, Urbanism, and Property-Legal Affairs of the Municipality of Tešanj, and the president of the Local Gender Action Plan Team, in charge of its monitoring and realization, says: "Participating in this project was important for us because it opened up space to view the budgetary processes from a new, more inclusive perspective."

As the most important step, Almira sees the analysis of existing budget programs to understand how much they already take into account the needs of women and men. This was followed by education and workshops for officials, as well as a revision of the Decision on Budget Execution. The Multidisciplinary Team of the Municipality of Tešanj made a significant contribution to the activities, and its members are also included in the protocols for handling cases of violence.

"I would particularly like to highlight the increased awareness among officials and institutions about the importance of gender equality," emphasizes Prnjavorac, adding that good cooperation with the Multidisciplinary Team has shown how different sectors can work together to promote gender equality. In her opinion, institutionalization of practices through internal acts and continuous education remain a priority for further work.

Centar Sarajevo: An Example of Equal Opportunities

In the Municipality of Centar Sarajevo, according to Amra Hašimbegović-Vučković, Assistant to the Municipal Mayor for Veteran-Disability and Social Protection, the project helped to further improve and systematize existing practices. "Our efforts were to ensure that when planning the budget, funds are distributed evenly, and to correct certain gender stereotypes that prevail in our society, which we have largely achieved," she points out.

Through the project, the principles of gender equality have been integrated into regulations and the Decision on Budget Execution, and officials have undergone training on the basic concepts of gender equality. The Municipality has introduced an innovative Guide to Rights and Services with QR codes that allows citizens to download requests directly from their phones. They also keep gender statistics, which enables them to monitor progress and adapt their policies.

They are particularly proud to have been recognized as a responsible actor within the UN Women global campaign Generation Equality" - they are the first local community in the Sarajevo Canton to receive this recognition. "It is very important that we have improved institutional implementation when it comes to gender equality because it is of great importance for the inclusive development of the community," adds Hašimbegović-Vučković.

Joint Recommendations

Experiences from these communities show that the basic recommendations for the future are very similar and interconnected. It is necessary to institutionalize gender-responsive budgeting through internal acts and guidelines that would obligate all sectors to plan and report taking into account the gender perspective. Continuous education of all actors in the budgetary process remains key.

Equally important is to improve gender analyses based on data so that measures are more precise and effective, as well as strengthening cooperation between local communities, higher levels of government, and civil society. All interviewees emphasize that gender-responsive budgeting is not just a technical measure but a process that contributes to the creation of more just communities.

Experiences from Trebinje, Sarajevo, and Tešanj show how important it is to invest in local capacities and people who dedicate their work to improving gender equality. When communities receive tools and knowledge, gender equality becomes a real part of planning and development, and not just a declarative goal.

The experiences of the interviewees also show that gender-responsive budgeting is not just a financial or technical measure - it is a process that contributes to the creation of more just communities in which everyone, regardless of gender, has equal opportunities and voice.

Changes that begin locally can have long-term effects on the entire society. Budgets that recognize the real needs of all citizens become not only fairer but also more efficient, and the communities that adopt them take an important step towards a society of equal opportunities for all.