Public Budgeting With A Gender Lens: Fulton County, Georgia And San Francisco, California

Abstract

Public budgeting with a gender lens, also known as gender budgeting [GB], evaluates policies for their effects on men and women to promote gender equity. This research assesses GB in Fulton County, Georgia and San Francisco, California - the only two local governments in the United States [U.S.] that practice it. This study describes the adoption, implementation and impact of GB to fill a dearth of research on U.S. approaches within global GB literature. The study utilizes qualitative methods of focus group discussion, face-to-face and telephone interviews of county administrators and nonprofit agency representatives, as well as observation and secondary data comprising of program reports, departmental and county budgets, and online publications. Utilizing the Politics of Public Budgeting theoretical framework, this research demonstrates that politics play a major role in the adoption, implementation, and continuity of a gender initiative. Research findings indicate that administrative champions are as important as political champions in putting policy into action. Furthermore, the U.S. GB approaches redefined and expanded the focus of gender services from women only to include men and LGBTQ persons, thereby demonstrating differential effects of GB rather than adverse effects. Findings also highlight embedding GB in mainstream budgeting processes. This study transfers knowledge from international examples, including developing countries, to the U.S., thus reversing the norm in academic research. Ultimately, the research contributes to American public budgeting by highlighting GB as yet another budgeting approach that intentionally balances scarce resources with competing interests to attain equitable policies.