They also lamented that budget information and fiscal documents are treated as classified secret materials, particularly at the state level. They urged the government at all levels to consciously encourage citizens, including women participation in budgeting processes from conceptualisation, formulation, defence, legislation, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and tracking. They added that the government should initiate policies aimed at reducing poverty and inequality gaps that ensure that the poor get poorer, while the rich get richer. They demanded an end to all government’s attempts to shrink the civic space, pronouncements meant to repress the citizens’ voices and should understand that freedom of expression was a democratic necessity. Cultures, traditions, policies and practices, which limit women participation in governance at all levels should be eliminated,” they said.

Source: The Guardian July 15, 2021 04:07 UTC