Gender Budgeting in Ireland Economic v. Equality Policy?

1. Gender Budgeting in IrelandEconomic v. Equality Policy? Regional Conference The Challenges of Engendering Economics – Way Towards Social Justice and Equal Opportunities 1 April, 2008 Tbilisi, Georgia Sheila Quinn (quinnsheila@eircom.net)

2. Regional Pilot Initiative • Funded by Gender Equality Unit within Department of Justice, Equality & Law Reform • External Expertise – government sponsored, civil society not involved • Within framework of Gender Mainstreaming

3. Participating Agencies • Characteristics: volunteered, strong track record tackling social exclusion and inequality, closer to community than to government • Local Area Partnership – city level remit • County Enterprise Board • Vocational Educational Committee County Development Board

4. Local Area Partnerships • Co-ordination of local response to social & economic exclusion • 38 in total in areas of extreme disadvantage • Bring together all local players – consultation a major component • ESF & ERDF until change in Objective 1

5. County Development Board • Set up in 2000 • New layer of regional admin • Integrated Strategy for County • Taskforce at National Level

6. County Development Board

7. County Enterprise Boards • 35 Enterprise Boards in total • Set up in 1993 by statute • Remit is to promote micro-enterprises • Activities include grants, training, mentoring, advice and counselling • 1994-1999 20,000 jobs created – average grant cost per job of €4,600

8. Remit & Structure of CEB • To promote micro-enterprise at County level • Clearly defined parameters within which to operate • Small specifically-targeted funding streams • All facets of organisation and operation governed by government guidelines • Distinguishing feature – local response

9. Roscommon CEB • Rural West of Ireland • County Pop: 52,000 • Annual Operating Budget - €1m • Strand of Activity (2003) • Grants - €340,873 • Soft supports - €202,561

10. Approach – 1. Research • Gender Audit: • Highlight policies governing spend • Uncover constraints on spend • Map the spend, disaggregated • Reveal the equity/inequity issues • Demonstrate the relevance of budget to policy implementation

11. Gender Audit – 6 Areas of Enquiry • Organisational Context • The Budget • Staffing • Gender policies and practices • Activity/services • Social position of women

12. Approach – 2. Participatory • Review findings with representative staff • Demonstrate tools: • Gender aware policy appraisal • Gender disaggregated beneficiary assessment • Gender-disaggregated expenditure incidence analysis

13. Audit Findings • Easy to quantify the gender disparities • Identified the constraints attached to funding • Identified the low level of translation of gender/equality policy • Demonstrated need for positive action • Revealed the need to interrogate the dominance of economic policy

14. Economic vs Equality Policy • The role of economic theorizing in policy making – perceived wisdom • Deadweight loss and displacement • Internationally tradable services • Constraint – inability to adjust economic policy to local conditions • Economic policy wins out over Equality Commitments

15. Key Observations • Significant adjustments in funding to redress the low level of funding to women’s enterprises • Increased gender awareness and gender analytic skills • Inability to adapt economic policy to local situation – the main structural inequalities remain in place • Initial lack of high-level ownership meant no follow through