Short Summary: Integrating gender into budgetary debate can yield better information and analysis of a budget’s impacts. It can also serve as a tool to advocate for more equitable public policies. Researchers and advocates in Brazil, Mexico, Peru, and Chile have attempted to influence the debate around policy priorities and to assess the impact of government spending on women and girls, men and boys. The methods included analysing municipal expenditures and using the media to highlight the invisibility of women in the budget. Most projects have responded to opportunities brought about by greater democratic openings, decentralisation, the rise of new forms of direct citizen participation, and the better integration of gender concerns in government. Organisations and researchers profiled in this study had to familiarise themselves with budget documents, understand and decide on a methodological approach and build strategic partnerships to ensure that they had budget and gender analysis skills to draw on. This paper also outlines lessons learnt from these experiences and barriers to future work.
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