In this lecture
- Read a budget line against beneficiary data
- Identify a line that looks neutral but is not
- Avoid assuming neutrality without checking
Gender-neutral language is not gender-neutral spending
A budget line written in gender-neutral language - 'agricultural extension services' - can still reach men and women in very different proportions if extension officers visit farms during hours or through channels that only one group can access. The line is neutral on paper and not neutral in effect.
Check before you conclude
The only way to know whether a line is genuinely neutral in effect is to check who used it last year, disaggregated by sex where the data exists. Assuming neutrality from the wording alone is the single most common error in a first budget read-through.
Materials
Yours to keep, and usable away from the platform.
- Budget line reading worksheetWorksheet · 84 KB
Design prototype - the attachments are placeholders and nothing downloads yet.
Lecture quiz
4 questions, plus 2 written questions at the end - taken whenever you are ready. This is what unlocks the next lecture.