Annual #GoingGlocal Forum of the Gender Budget Watchdog Network in Skopje

During October 19-20, the Gender Budget Watchdog Network organized the Annual #GoingGlocal Forum in Skopje, North Macedonia. The forum brought together 90 participants with the purpose of holding discussions on influencing local and global policies in the gender equality sector, especially policies related to budgeting processes.

The objective of the Forum was to present the current knowledge and experience in using various GRB approaches in local transformation, to communicate the use of this methodology in global methods and strategies of gender budgeting. The forum also introduced methodologies and tools based on global and local best practices for tracking international financing towards gender equality through the improvement and development of the methodology.

The event included 8 speaking panels and working groups, which fostered discussion on the implementation of Gender-Responsive Budgeting (GRB) tools in the region, their further development, and financial sustainability in relation to climate change and environmental protection. Renowned experts from across Europe, international organizations, CSO activists and stakeholders joined the Forum in order to discuss their experiences, research, and methodology ideas that enable the application of effective methods to advance good governance at central and regional level, by using GRB tools.

The project "Strengthening transparency and accountability for gender equality in Western Balkans and Moldova (Gender Budget Watchdog Network, Phase II), is supported by the Austrian Development Agency and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, Sida - Styrelsen för Internationellt Utvecklingssamarbete.