Includes bibliographical references and index.

Foreword / Christine Lagarde -- Gender budgeting: how fiscal policy can promote gender equality / Lisa Kolovich -- Sub-Saharan Africa / Christine Kadama, Lisa Kolovich, Samson Kwalingana, Monique Newiak, Caroline Ntumwa, Francine Nyankiye -- Asia and Pacific / Lisa Kolovich, Prakash Loungani -- Europe / Sheila Quinn -- Latin America and Canada / Lucia Pérez Fragoso, Corina Rodríguez Enriquez -- Middle East and Central Asia / Lisa Kolovich, Saina Shibuya -- Pacific Islands, the Caribbean, and small states / Tamoya A.L. Christie, Dhanaraj Thakur

Historically, women around the world have had fewer opportunities than men in education, employment, health care, and politics. The moral argument for gender equality is clear, and the economic evidence is mounting. The International Monetary Fund and other international institutions have worked to help whittle away at the barriers that prevent girls and women from achieving their full economic potential. This book is based on a joint research project between the IMF and the United Kingdom's Department for International Development on gender budgeting around the world. The book summarizes prominent gender budgeting initiatives in more than 80 countries. Gender budgeting allows fiscal authorities to ensure that tax spending and policies address inequality and the advancement of women. Gender budgeting goals include increasing access to education, childcare, and health services; raising female labor force participation; and eradicating violence against women.