Liberia Pilots Gender-Responsive Budgeting with Intensive Workshop in Ganta - FrontPageAfrica

MONROVIA –The Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) has launched a three-day intensive workshop in Ganta City, Nimba County to strengthen gender-responsive planning and budgeting (GRPB) across key government sectors.

By D. Franklin Doloquee

The session, theme: “Strengthening Gender-Responsive Planning and Budgeting (GRPB) Across Government,” brings together representatives from spending entities including Gender, Agriculture, Local Governance and MFDP Analysts. Organized by the Gender-Responsive Planning and Budgeting National Coordination Unit (GRPBNCU)  at the Ministry of Finance Development and planning.

The event reviews 2025 GRPB Reports to identify gaps, highlight strengths and develop a harmonized reporting mechanism.

Mona El-Mason, GRPBNCU Coordinator for Gender-Responsive Planning and Projects, emphasized the need for unified reporting during an interview with FrontPage Africa(FPA).

“We’ve been implementing GRPB since 2019, piloted after discussions began around 2012 with development partners,” she said.

“The only way our work will show is through reporting. We need to review reports for gaps and effectiveness, then create strong recommendations. Preliminary reviews revealed progress in GRPB implementation but pointed to recording shortcomings. There’s a gap, but it’s not that we’re not doing it, we are,” says Kpanah L.  Mason.

“The big issue is we’re not recording what we’re doing. Sometimes we do something but don’t realize we should record it. Here, we’ll learn what to record to make our data strong and reliable.”

Over the next three days, participants will engage in technical discussions, practical exercises and collaborative dialogues to refine tools, share experiences and institutionalize GRPB in national development planning.

A key goal is a consistent reporting system that ensures transparency, comparability, and accurate data tracking across institutions empowering decision-makers, boosting accountability and embedding gender equality throughout the budget cycle.

The Ministry of Finance Development and planning (MFDP) is collaborating with the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection.

By the end of 2026,   Mason expects annual reports to adopt this new mechanism, transforming GRPB from policy aspiration into practical reality nationwide.

Organizers praised media coverage, with   Mason thanking FrontPage Africa and urged active participation to deliver on commitments to women, girls and vulnerable groups while building credibility with development partners.