SWBG blog

Final reflections from the Women's Economic Empowerment group

This year’s Women’s Economic Empowerment Group has been meeting regularly since October 2025. This has allowed the group to follow the budget process in Scotland. As part of this, they reviewed: 

• The Chancellor’s Autumn Statement, highlighting how decisions taken at Westminster impact the Scottish Budget;  

• The budget cycle in Scotland, including pre-budget scrutiny;  

• The local government budget-setting process, including how decisions taken by The Scottish Government impact at this level. 

As a result, the group was able to see how the different layers of government and budget-setting mechanisms interact and impact one another. Using the key principles of gender budgeting, the group highlighted some areas where they felt that all levels of government in Scotland could improve. 

Transparency and accountability  

The group identified that politics (and the desire to win future elections) impacts the decisions politicians make and what they see as priorities. It also affects the way different politicians present the same information when discussing choices and decisions that have been made.  

This raised questions, such as:  who do you believe, and how do you know what is true? The group felt that, at times, some politicians were on the verge of circulating misinformation. 

The group also noted that communication around budgets is often poor.  There is limited explanation about why ‘budget gaps’ arise. One council reviewed had consulted on savings due to a budget gap, yet the papers showed they had a surplus this year. While decisions were made to achieve £4.5 million in savings, the council also approved £3.5 million in recurring expenditure. How this had happened was not explained in any communication about the budget to citizens. 

Media coverage of budgets tends to focus on tax raises, whether council or income tax, with little explanation provided about why such rises are necessary.  The group highlighted that, generally across society, there is feeling of paying more for less. This perception is driving dissatisfaction in communities and is impacting trust in all levels of government. Better communication about public finances and the priorities governments set could help address some of this. 

From their review of the budget process, one of the overarching questions the group was left with was: “So what?”. 

They wanted to know what decisions would mean on the ground for their lives and their families. For example, what difference would £7.6 million in additional expenditure make for families waiting for neurodiversity assessments? The group felt that there needs to be greater clarity on the outcomes the government expects to achieve as a result of its budget decisions. They suggested that this could help increase accountability and manage expectations about how budgets will impact people’s lives. The group also felt that transparency around these outcomes could help address the dissatisfaction that arises when politicians, nationally, announce initiatives that do not materialise at the local level. 

Participation 

The group reviewed the pre-budget scrutiny of two committees in the Scottish Parliament, as well as the online budget consultations for three local authorities and one health and social care partnership. 

In considering opportunities for participation, the group often returned to the questions: “Whose voices are heard?” and “Who is paid attention to?” when politicians decide what is a priority and what is not. 

The group felt that consultation mechanisms need to be better embedded into the budget-setting process, with a clear link between consultation feedback and the decisions that are ultimately taken. Currently, at all levels of government, only a minority of people engage, meaning that limited voices are heard. Many people are unaware of opportunities to participate, or they may feel it is pointless because their views will not be considered. 

The group also felt that the online methods used for consultation need reviewing. Of the four consultations examined, the quality varied. One consultation combined disparate topics and asked whether they were important or not, while others offered options and asked how they would affect participants immediately. Those reviewing the consultations felt that they often constrained the feedback that could be provided, giving the impression that the processes were designed to elicit the answers that those setting the questions wanted. 

The group emphasised that, while it is important to gather the views of the general public, it is equally critical to consult with people who have lived experience and would be directly affected by proposals. This ensures that any negative impacts are fully understood and appropriate mitigations can be considered. 

Outcome Focussed  

The group was often frustrated when reviewing the budget process due to the lack of information about what the decisions taken would actually mean, and what they saw as the vagueness of many statements made. 

They felt that the impact of funding needs to be better evaluated to ensure investment is directed to the right areas. The group raised questions about how effectively funding is being used. For example, they queried whether the additional funding for mental health was making a real difference, or whether it ever would if money continues to be invested in systems that are currently failing to support people. Without knowing the intended outcomes of investments or being able to follow the money and understand why it may have limited impact, the chances of effectively addressing these issues are reduced. 

Advances Equality  

In reviewing impact assessments linked to budgets, the group found that these assessments were often missing, developed only after decisions had been taken, or failed to adequately consider women and their needs, particularly around care and caring responsibilities. 

The Women’s Economic Empowerment group workshops have now wrapped up. Interested in taking part in the future workshops? Sign up to our newsletter for updates.