Global to Local: Translation of UN Women's Gender Responsive Budgeting Framework into Municipalities in Türkiye

Abstract

The integration of gender equality into public policies has been one of the key principles adopted by various international organizations since the mid-1990s, facilitated by the global dissemination of a range of policy tools and frameworks. UN institutions have emerged as pivotal actors in advocating for and guiding the dissemination of gender responsive budgeting (GRB) as one of the strategic gender-sensitive approaches at both central and local government levels. This article examines the role of UN Women (UNW) in enabling GRB in T & uuml;rkiye since the late 2000s, focusing on the experiences of the municipalities that have collaborated with UNW on GRB projects. It does so by applying a novel framework developed to identify forms of policy transfer. Drawing on qualitative data from the research conducted with experts from the four partner municipalities in UNW's GRB project in T & uuml;rkiye, the study finds that UNW has played a key role as an initiator and mediator in embedding GRB at the local level, acting as a catalyst in empowering the practitioners at municipalities in their GRB work. The findings also reveal a diverse spectrum of transmission modalities, including enforcement mechanisms, learning processes, and context-specific adaptations, albeit with persistent challenges and constraints.