Government budgets inform citizens about how revenue is generated and where it is spent with regard to sectors, services, programmes, regions, and individuals. Budgets therefore can indicate governments’ compliance with their human rights obligations and measure the seriousness with which actions are taken to ensure implementation of human rights standards.

A rights-based approach to budgeting ensures that equity is a goal of economic policy making as well as an indicator of effective economic governance and policy frameworks. Political statements and legislation will not increase access to services, resources and rights. Progress towards the realization of human rights entails monetary investment and a constant scrutiny of economic policies from a rights perspective. Gender equality advocates have increasingly used gender budget analysis tools to identify existing gender gaps and biases in budget allocation, spending and revenue raising measures. Applying a rights-approach to the gender analysis of budgets and ensuing advocacy helps identify and monitor participatory budget policy making processes, the appropriateness of budget allocations, and principles for non-discriminatory economic and budgets policies.

Within this context, various practitioners have introduced resources that elaborate the links between Human Rights and Budgets and inform work toward more equitable and pro-poor budget policies. These resources benefit the work of activists mobilizing for the rights of women, children, poor communities, minorities and others.  

The following UNIFEM fact sheet entitled "Government Accountability to Human Rights through Budgets" discusses the relationship between human rights and budgets. It contains links to resources that address how a rights-based approach to budgeting ensures that equity is a goal of economic policy making as well as an indicator of effective economic governance and policy frameworks.

GRB and Human Rights updated October 07