Ouagadougou: The NGO Christian Aid, in collaboration with the Technical Alliance for Development Assistance (ATAD), is spearheading a national forum in Ouagadougou from July 14 to 16, 2026, focusing on gender-responsive macroeconomic policies. The gathering aims to disseminate findings from participatory research on gender-responsive budgeting and the national policy of free healthcare for pregnant women and children under five, with the ultimate goal of enhancing gender integration in public policies across Burkina Faso.
According to Burkina Information Agency, the forum, themed "Gender-sensitive macroeconomic policies in Burkina Faso: what contribution of civil society in the context of the adoption of a new development framework?", unites representatives from the State, local authorities, civil society organizations, researchers, technical and financial partners, media, and citizens. Over the three-day event, participants will delve into the challenges of gender-sensitive economic governance, exchange experiences, scrutinize study results, and craft recommendations to better address the needs of women and girls in economic policies.
This initiative is part of the "Taxation Serving Women in Burkina Faso" project, which strives to enhance the national policy of free healthcare for pregnant women and children under five through improved tax governance and a fairer allocation of public resources. The project is executed by Christian Aid and ATAD. Constant Zango, president of ATAD, highlighted that the forum offers a platform for dialogue and reflection, gathering various stakeholders dedicated to fostering inclusive development. He emphasized the importance of identifying best practices and proposing solutions for public policies to better reflect the realities faced by women and girls.
Zango underscored the security, humanitarian, economic, and social challenges confronting Burkina Faso and the necessity for policies that harmonize economic growth, equity, and equal opportunities. He noted that since 2022, Christian Aid and ATAD, in conjunction with a coalition of civil society organizations, have been advocating for gender-sensitive macroeconomic policies aligned with the National Gender Strategy. These efforts lay a robust foundation for the forum's work, aimed at generating concrete recommendations for more inclusive economic governance.
Rosine Hema/Compaor, representing the Minister of Family and Solidarity, praised the theme's relevance, affirming it mirrors the current challenges Burkina Faso faces. She stressed the forum as a platform for consultation on gender-sensitive budgeting and free healthcare policy, proposing sustainable ways to embed gender considerations in public policy planning, programming, budgeting, implementation, and evaluation.
Hema/Compaor urged participants to actively engage in discussions to ensure the recommendations are practical, consensual, and readily applicable by public decision-makers. Following the three-day forum, a summary of the recommendations will be forwarded to authorities to aid in the formulation, monitoring, and evaluation of more transparent, effective, and inclusive public policies.
Between 2022 and 2024, Christian Aid and ATAD launched the "Promoting a gender-just economic recovery" project, which bolstered the capacities of over 129 actors, mobilized 36 civil society organizations into a national platform, and trained 31 budget program managers in gender-sensitive budgeting.