Gender-Responsive Budgeting Essential for Women’s Leadership and Fair Resource Allocation: Ghazala Gola
Quetta: A consultative meeting on gender-responsive budgeting and planning was held at the Committee Hall of the Provincial Assembly of Balochistan, emphasizing fair distribution of resources and inclusive governance to promote women’s leadership in the province.
The session was organized by the Women Parliamentary Caucus Balochistan in collaboration with UN Women and the Aurat Foundation, with financial support from the German Embassy and the European Union in Pakistan.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Speaker of the Balochistan Assembly Ghazala Gola, Provincial Minister for Education Raheela Hameed Durrani, MPAs including Farah Azeem Shah, Salma Kakar, Shahida Rauf, Safia Umarani, Assembly Secretary Tahir Shah Kakar, DG Social Welfare Ashraf Gachki, Ombudsperson for Anti-Harassment Tahira Baloch, UN Women Balochistan Head Ayesha Wadood, and other officials from government departments, civil society, and development organizations.
In her address, Ghazala Gola said that gender-responsive budgeting is essential for good governance and equitable development, adding that women’s leadership in decision-making can only be strengthened when their needs are properly reflected in budget planning.
She clarified that the objective of gender-responsive budgeting is not to create separate funds for women but to ensure fair and balanced allocation of resources for both men and women.
Experts at the meeting discussed budget formulation processes, gender analysis in development programs, and monitoring mechanisms to improve outcomes, especially for women in rural and underdeveloped areas of Balochistan.
Raheela Hameed Durrani highlighted that women’s development projects often receive limited funding and stressed the need for collective efforts to address serious challenges faced by women, including education, healthcare, economic opportunities, and protection from violence.
Speakers emphasized improving oversight through standing committees and strengthening institutional coordination. Participants also identified priority areas and proposed recommendations to enhance gender-sensitive budgeting and legislative processes.
Representatives reaffirmed their commitment to playing an active role in promoting gender equality, ensuring accountability in budgeting, and strengthening women’s participation in governance.
The meeting concluded with remarks from the Women Parliamentary Caucus leadership, who stated that fair and inclusive budgeting is essential for the sustainable development and long-term prosperity of Balochistan, while thanking all participants for their contributions.
