The Bassel Fleihan financial and economic institute, affiliated to the Ministry of Finance, organized on March 4th in collaboration with the IMF regional technical support office a workshop on gender budgeting. The event targeted senior staff in the Ministry of Agriculture which was chosen as a model for this initiative. The experience should then be replicated within other ministries. The Institute issued a statement noting that this workshop was held within the framework of IWD 2020 with the aim of preparing the first gender sensitive budget at the level of one state institution and the intention to replicate this model in other state institutions. The Institute director, Lamya Mobayed Bsat, noted that the budget in preparation will include practical financial planning tools which will aid not only in undertaking a gender analysis and producing a gender sensitive national budget but also in terms of improving financial performance as well as modernise the public sector. (NNA, March 4th 2020)