Gender Responsive Budgeting in the Local Self-Goverments in the Republic of Serbia

Abstract

Gender equality and gender non-discrimination issues belong to the set of basic principles of human rights being a very relevant research topic in many developed countries worldwide. To the large extent, this issue is becoming increasingly important in less developed economies including the Republic of Serbia. In this paper, the focus will be on one specific aspect of gender equality – gender sensitive or gender responsive budgeting in the local self-government units. Considering that economic equality is almost always a pre-condition for any other equality, success in incorporating the gender equality concept into the budgetting process might determine the nature of relationship between the genders. This also (as the most frequent manifestation of these relationships) includes the position of women in local communities. Special attention in the paper will be paid to development and functioning of the institutional mechanisms for the achivement of gender equality, as well as specifics of gender responsive budgeting in the local self-governments in Serbia.