Paulina Quintao – Prime Minister Rui Maria de Araujo has urged ministers and secretaries of state to include gender issues in the annual action plan and the 2017 budget to ensure both women and men benefit from government programs.

The Secretary of State for the Socio-Economic Support of Women (SEM), Veneranda Lemos, said the percentage of the state budget approved annually by National Parliament for women's programs was insufficient.

Lemos said SEM was advocating for ministries to integrate gender issues into the annual action plan and 2017 budget.

"Through the acknowledgement of the Prime Minister, SEM has sent letters to all ministries and secretariats of state to consider gender issues in their programs," she said at a workshop on gender equality and the state budget plan in Hotel Timor, Dili.

While some ministries had already introduced gender sensitization programs that benefited both men and women, Lemos said others still needed reminding.

She said SEM is taking part in the budget revision commission to ensure that all ministries and secretariats integrated gender issues in their programs for the 2017 national budget.

President of the Parliamentary Women's Group MP Florentina Smith agreed that it was necessary to have gender sensitization programs as women tended to outnumber men in Timor-Leste.The MP conceded that in the past the annual budget approved by the National Parliament for ministries hadn't really benefited women.

The MP also urged the government to provide capacity building for women's groups so that they were able to their funding effectively as many organizations failed to make any significant progress despite receiving government support.

Source: http://www.thediliweekly.com/en/news/gender/13943-pm-calls-for-gender-sensitive-budget-for-2017