From 24–27 June 2026, the Gender Budget Watchdog Network (GBWN) organized a regional workshop in Ulcinj, Montenegro, bringing together experts and network members from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia to develop a common approach for creating Gender-Responsive Citizens Budgets.
The workshop focused on strengthening the role of Citizens Budgets as essential tools for transparency, accountability, and citizen participation in public finance. Participants explored international experiences, discussed the current state of Citizens’ Budgets across the region, and jointly designed country-specific draft documents that will make budget information more understandable and accessible to the public.
The programme featured a synergy session with the International Budget Partnership’s (IBP) expert, Priyanka Samy, where participants examined global trends from the Open Budget Survey 2025, reviewed innovative examples of Citizens Budgets from around the world, and explored how gender-responsive budgeting can be integrated into public finance communication through practical examples and interactive group work led by budget experts from Macedonia, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Why Citizens Budgets Matter
Government budgets influence every aspect of people’s daily lives—from education and healthcare to social protection, transport, climate action, and local services. However, budget documents are often highly technical and difficult for the general public to understand.
Citizens’ Budgets address this challenge by presenting key budget information in clear, accessible language supported by visual elements. They serve as an entry point that enables citizens to better understand how public funds are allocated and spent, encouraging informed participation in public decision-making and strengthening oversight of government spending.
While Citizens’ Budgets simplify complex financial information, they do not replace official budget documents. Instead, they complement them by making public finance more transparent and enabling wider public engagement.
Integrating Gender into Citizens Budgets
A key focus of the workshop was ensuring that Citizens Budgets go beyond transparency by also reflecting the different ways public spending affects women and men, girls and boys, and people from historically excluded communities.
Participants worked collaboratively to develop a regional methodology for Gender-Responsive Citizens Budgets, applying feminist and intersectional perspectives to national budget communication. Country teams drafted their own documents while also discussing structure, design, messaging, and next steps for finalization.
By making budgets both understandable and gender-responsive, these documents will help citizens better understand not only where public money goes, but also who benefits from public spending and where inequalities remain.
Looking Ahead
The workshop concluded with country teams presenting their draft Gender-Responsive Citizens Budgets and agreeing on a common timeline for finalization. The resulting publications will contribute to stronger public participation, greater budget transparency, and more inclusive public finance across the Western Balkans and Moldova.
Through this initiative, the Gender Budget Watchdog Network continues to strengthen civil society’s role in promoting accountable governance and ensuring that public budgets respond to the needs and priorities of all members of society.
