TZ studies Rwanda to boost gender budgeting
RWANDA: SENIOR government officials from Tanzania are in Rwanda this week for a high-level South–South Knowledge Exchange Mission focused on strengthening institutional capacities for gender-responsive budgeting (GRB).
Organised by UN Women, the mission brings together representatives from Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar, including officials from Ministries of Finance, Gender, national planning bodies, audit institutions and statistics offices.
This landmark initiative highlights Tanzania’s ongoing commitment to integrating gender equality into public finance, a partnership with UN Women that has spanned over eight years.
The collaboration has already achieved key milestones such as establishing GRB coordination mechanisms, national guidelines and skills-building programmes at both national and subnational levels.
“This mission underscores our shared commitment to ensuring that public resources are allocated and spent in ways that address the realities and priorities of all people, especially women and marginalised groups,” said Katherine Gifford, Deputy Country Representative for UN Women Tanzania.
Rwanda, recognised for its progressive approach to gender equality in public finance, offers a valuable platform for peer learning. The Tanzanian delegation will engage with key Rwandan institutions including the Gender Monitoring Office, Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion, Office of the Auditor General, civil society organisations and the Rwanda Women Parliamentary Forum.
During the week-long mission, Tanzanian officials will observe how GRB tools, such as gender impact assessments and gender budget statements, are integrated throughout Rwanda’s budget cycle. These tools are essential for promoting equitable resource allocation and enhancing accountability in public finance.
UN Women is supporting Tanzania to expand the use of these tools across sector ministries and to strengthen platforms enabling women’s rights organisations to influence budget decisions.
By learning from Rwanda’s experience, Tanzania aims to scale up GRB initiatives across all levels of governance and deepen collaboration among finance, planning and gender sectors.
ALSO READ: Women empowerment drive targets government tender opportunities
The exchange is facilitated by the Rwanda Cooperation Initiative (RCI) and UN Women Rwanda Country Office, reflecting a growing trend of South– South cooperation that leverages shared regional expertise to accelerate gender equality.
As Tanzania works to translate its GRB frameworks into action, this mission marks a critical step toward ensuring national budgets reflect the needs and priorities of all citizens—women, men, girls and boys alike.
