Report Documenting GRB Facilitation at the Municipal Level (Deliverable #7)

The GRB process involves analyzing how public resources are allocated and who benefits from them. This analysis is essential to understand the elements that lead to inequities between women and men, as well as among other groups. The GRB methodology consists of four general steps: 1) budget analysis with a gender perspective; 2) stakeholder consultations with municipal officials; 3) participatory planning with representatives from civil society organizations (CSOs) and activists; and 4) budget preparation. This process allows for the identification of areas where resources can be reallocated to address the prevention of and response to domestic violence. In the municipalities of Ozurgeti, Batumi, and Rustavi, the GRB process was implemented to address the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on women. The pandemic led to increased levels of domestic violence and abuse of women, with limited access to essential services. The GRB process aimed to provide a tool for short-term mitigation and long-term policies and programs to address these issues. The GRB process in the three municipalities involved public officials and civil society representatives. The goal was to implement GRB as a tool to promote awareness of how disparities between women and men perpetuate gender-based violence. Without adequate and targeted resources, local governments cannot fulfill their role in safeguarding vulnerable community members or aiming towards equity. The GRB process in Ozurgeti, Batumi, and Rustavi focused on several key areas, including the allocation of public resources to address domestic violence. Recommendations from the GRB process included moving programs from multiple categories to the social services line item, creating new program codes to track services, adding victims of domestic violence to the definition of vulnerable populations, expanding public services, and creating more comprehensive gender agendas. The implementation of GRB in the three municipalities varied due to political factors, such as upcoming elections and party rivalries, and prevailing gender stereotypes that influence policies and programs. Despite these challenges, the GRB process provided a framework for addressing the effects of the pandemic on women and promoting gender equality. The GRB process in the three municipalities led to several key findings and recommendations. In Ozurgeti, the GRB process identified the need to allocate resources to address domestic violence, including the creation of new program codes to track services. In Batumi, the GRB process recommended the expansion of public services, including the creation of a comprehensive gender agenda. In Rustavi, the GRB process identified the need to move programs from multiple categories to the social services line item. Overall, the GRB process in the three municipalities provided a framework for addressing the effects of the pandemic on women and promoting gender equality. The process identified areas where resources can be reallocated to address domestic violence and provided recommendations for short-term mitigation and long-term policies and programs. The GRB process in the three municipalities also highlighted the importance of stakeholder consultations and participatory planning in the GRB process. The involvement of public officials, civil society representatives, and activists in the GRB process ensured that the process was inclusive and representative of the needs of the community.