Press Release: Government representatives from Kazakhstan get first-hand look at OECD best practices in gender-responsive budgeting
Date:
Astana, 25 June 2018 – A government delegation from Kazakhstan, including Tatyana Savelyeva, Vice-Minister of Finance of Kazakhstan and representatives of the Ministry of National Economy, participated at the second Senior Budget Officials (SBO) Experts Meeting on Gender Budgeting and the OECD Roundtable on Better Governance for Gender Equality in Vienna, Austria, supported by UN Women country office in Kazakhstan.
These high-level meetings have become a dialogue platform to discuss the latest developments, changes and best practices in gender-responsive planning and budgeting in the OECD countries. Participants paid particular attention to the hands-on approaches to incorporate gender aspects into the national planning and budgeting systems. Participants of the meetings included high-level public officials, including Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Finance of Austria, members of the Austrian Parliament, representatives of the Austrian Court of Audit, Federal Ministry of Civil Service and Sport, Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research. Among other attendees were leading specialists from the Ministries of Finance and Economic Development of twenty-five OECD countries dealing with gender-responsive budgeting, international organizations and EU research Institutions.
Photo: UN Women/Dina Amrisheva
Tatyana Teplova, the Head of Gender and Inclusiveness Unit at the OECD said: “The participation of the delegation from Kazakhstan at the 2nd SBO Experts Meeting on Gender Budgeting is a positive result of the close cooperation between the Government of Kazakhstan and the OECD in the sphere of budget legislation. The OECD views Kazakhstan as a fully-fledged partner, who is very progressive in public governance reforms. We strongly believe, that introduction of gender-responsive budgeting will be successfully and effectively implemented and further enhance partnership between the OECD and Kazakhstan”.
Kazakhstan’s delegation took part at the meetings in the framework of the study tour on gender-responsive planning and budgeting to the Republic of Austria, held on 18 – 22 June 2018. Representatives of the National Commission on Women Affairs, Family and Demographic Policy under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Ministry of National Economy and Ministry of Finance participated in the bilateral meetings with the Austrian Federal Ministry of Finance, Federal Ministry on Women, Family and Youth Affairs, Federal Ministry of State Service and Sport, Budget Office of the Parliament and Austrian Institute of Economic Research.
Kazakhstan’s state bodies took a first-hand look at general policy and strategy of gender-responsive budgeting, integration of gender aspects into national planning and budgeting systems, and system of gender impact assessment of the Austrian state bodies. Kazakhstan’s authorities also got acquainted with the work of the Austrian Court of Audit, which conducts audits of the state bodies for consistency of the national strategies, programmes and budgets with the principles of gender equality, stipulated in the Constitution. The delegation also had an opportunity to study the work of the Interagency Working group of the central executive bodies on gender issues, as well as current legislative initiatives and projects in this sphere.
Photo: UN Women/Dina Amrisheva
“Austrian experience is unique as gender-responsive budgeting was a starting point for the advancement of gender policy in the country. Undoubtedly, the obtained knowledge, networking and partnership opportunities are of great importance for accelerating the development and implementation of gender-responsive budgeting in Kazakhstan,” said Yelena Tarassenko, Deputy Chairman of the National Commission on Women Affairs, Family and Demographic Policy under the President of Kazakhstan.
The study visit was organized by UN Women office in Kazakhstan in the framework of the project on strengthening the national system for gender-responsive planning and budgeting. It is expected that the implementation this initiative will positively impact the introduction of gender aspects into the system of state programming, planning and budgeting, increase their transparency and effectiveness for the benefit of all citizens of Kazakhstan.
For more information please contact UN Women Kazakhstan Communications Analyst Sabina Mendybayeva at sabina.mendybayeva[at]unwomen.org.