As the principal expression of political priorities, the budget is the most important tool of government. A central proposition of gender budgeting is that budgets are also products of established gender norms within government processes and practices. These result in gender-blind policy and resource decisions that contribute to the persistent social and economic disadvantage that women experience. Gender budgeting aims to re-orientate the policy process by integrating gender analysis in budgetary procedures. In a two stage process gender budget analysis examines how resources are allocated, and aims to redistribute resources to advance gender equality objectives through a gender-aware budget. This thesis argues that certain structural and contextual factors, or favourable conditions, impede or advance the advocacy and agenda setting, formal adoption, and implementation of gender budgeting as a mechanism for feminist policy change. These conditions are formed by combinations of inside and outside actors challenging the gendered nature of formal political institutions, the accessibility of the political system, and the extent to which there is a positive climate for gender equality. The reconfiguration of political structures creates opportunities for feminist policy change, potentially contributing to the adoption of gender budgeting. Ongoing political change in the review period of 2000-2009 characterised the recently established sub-state governments of Scotland, Euskadi and Andalucfa, making them appropriate sites for investigation. Drawing on feminist institutionalism, public policy literature and experiences of gender budgeting elsewhere, the thesis develops a Framework of Favourable Conditions for the Adoption and Implementation of Gender Budgeting. The Framework assesses the adoption and implementation of gender budgeting in the three case study sites. The application of the Framework provides the first comparative analysis of these sites, and offers important insights into the conditions for adopting and implementing gender budgeting in sub-state government, thereby informing future practice and advocacy.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:636815 |
| Date | January 2013 |
| Creators | O'Hagan, Angela |
| Publisher | Glasgow Caledonian University |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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