During the 68th Session of the United Nations (UN) Commission on the Status of Women, a side event titled “Gender Responsive Budgeting as a Transformative Approach Towards an Inclusive and Equitable Society” was organised by the Ministry of Family and Social Services in cooperation with Albania and UN Women on March 13, 2024. Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, Minister of Family and Social Services, Çiğdem Erdoğan, Chairperson of the Committee on Equality of Opportunity for Women and Men of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, Ahmet Kazan, Deputy Secretary General of Union of Municipalities of Türkiye, Albana Koçiu, Minister of Health and Social Protection of Albania, Etleva Sheshi, Director of Social Inclusion and Gender Equality Policies of Albania, and Ermira Lubani, Programme Specialist of UN Women participated as speakers in the side event.

In the event, which was met with considerable interest and participation, information about the activities carried out at both the central and local levels within the scope of the “Implementing Gender-Responsive Planning and Budgeting in Türkiye Project” under the IPA Fundamental Rights Sub-Field was provided. Additionally, the Albanian authorities shared their practices. With the aforementioned IPA Fundamental Rights Project carried out, pilot implementations of gender-responsive budgeting at both central and local levels were launched. It is expected that the Gender Responsive Budgeting Strategy Document and Action Plan, another significant output of the project, will contribute to the expansion and integration of pilot implementations nationwide and serve as a roadmap for the future.

In her speech at the side event, Minister Göktaş emphasized that budgeting approaches taking into account the different needs, priorities, and impacts of women and men have transformative effects. She stated that they aim to support the elimination of inequalities between women and men, the advancement of women’s rights, the reduction of poverty, and the enhancement of economic efficiency, accountability, and transparency, as well as the creation of equal societies. Minister Göktaş also noted their intention, as outlined in the 12th Development Plan, to expand and integrate budgeting activities that promote equal opportunities for women and men, highlighting that this approach forms a strong policy framework to promote equality between women and men in the coming period.