Workshop on Gender Analysis of Government Budgets

Workshop on Gender Analysis of Government Budgets, March 8&9, 2012.

The Public Policy and Gender Cluster in the Institute of Business, Social Sciences and Public Policy is pleased to announce a one and half day workshop on Gender Analysis of Government Budgets on March 8 &9, 2012. Prof Diane Elson, University of Essex, will lead the workshop. The workshop will focus on key concepts and tools for gender analysis of government budgets at macro, meso and micro levels, drawing on the experience of the UK Women’s Budget Group, an independent network of researchers from universities, trade unions and NGOs, which has been analysing the gender implications of UK government budgets since the early 1990s. Topics will include establishing base line data on gender dimensions of public sector employment, services, income transfers and taxes; assessing the gender implications of deficit reduction strategies; gender impact assessment of expenditure; gender impact assessment of taxation; and discussion of possibilities for gender analysis of the Irish government budget. There will be some hands on exercises and plenty of time for discussion. The workshop will be an important starting point to develop a cohesive group to regularly assess and monitor the annual Government Budget.

The workshop will begin on March 8th with an introductory session from 11 to 12:30. This will be followed by a public lecture at 4 pm by Prof Elson on Expenditure Cuts and Human Rights, with special reference to women’s rights. An evening reception will follow the lecture. The second day of the workshop on March 9th will be a full day with session from 10 am to 4 pm.

Workshop will be limited to 20 participants. Please inform Gillian Browne at gillian.browne@nuigalway.ie to reserve a place in the workshop.

Bio of Emeritus Prof. Diane Elson

Diane Elson, is a member of the Department of Sociology and of the Human Rights Center, University of Essex. She is an international expert who has contributed to development of gender analysis of government budgets in all regions of the world. Prof Elson has been a member of the UK Women’s Budget Group for more than 10 years, and is currently Chair of the Group. She has published widely on women’s rights and government budgets, and acted as advisor on gender responsive budgeting to the UN Women, the United Nations Development Programme and the Commonwealth Secretariat. Her current research includes: auditing economic policy from a human rights perspective; and macroeconomic policies and gender equality.

Pre-registration required!