The cost of inequalities between women and men is higher than the cost of equality. The use of gender sensitive budgets is a structural measure which contributes to reduce these inequalities and to ensure an efficient management of public finances while contributing to the achievement of a real equality between women and men.

In a world economic, financial and social crisis, public budgets should be used more than ever as a tool for combating inequalities and social injustice, by targeting the specific needs and interests of women and men through the distribution in an equitable and fair manner of the resources available and improve relevant policies. Gender sensitive budgets aim at achieving equality between women and men, respect for human rights and democracy, but also efficacity, performance, responsibility, transparency and social justice.

With this common objective, the Council of Europe and the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie wish to unite their experiences and their resources by launching a pilot project on gender budgeting. Similiar projects have already been launched in member states but none of them were really effective. It is now time to pass from a gender budget analysis to the formulation and a real implementation of a gender sensitive budget.

The integration of a gender perspective in budgets aims to optimize the results of policies and measures taken and to combat discrimination against women and men which have an impact on the economic and social development of member states.

While taking into account the specific needs linked to the project will also include a strong element of regional interaction which will facilitate the exchange of experience and networking between the national gender equality mechanisms and the finance and/or budget ministries.

Two members states of the Council of Europe, Armenia and “the Former Yugoslave Republic of Macedonia” (FYROM)and the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie are willing to implement this pilot project.

The project will be implemented jointly by the Council of Europe gender equality division and the l’Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie. Activities will be organised in the both Armenia and FYROM in co-operation with a focal point nominated by national authorities in the relevant countries.

The focal points will implement the project at national level in co-operation with the CoE and OIF administrators.