*The Missing Voice in County Budgets* *Imagine this:* *A mother in Busia struggles to access maternal healthcare* because the nearest clinic has no trained staff. *A young woman in Kitui abandons her dream of farming* because she has no access to agricultural training. *A girl in Machakos walks miles to fetch water* , missing school *because her county’s budget didn’t prioritize water access for rural communities.* These are not just stories. *They are real experiences of women and girls left behind because county budgets fail to recognize their unique needs.* Our assessment of five counties—Busia, Kisumu, Kitui, Machakos, and Kwale— *reveals a troubling reality: while policies exist on paper, real action lags behind* . *Only Kisumu has a formal gender policy* , and none have effectively tagged their budgets to track gender-related investments. *So, what’s stopping counties from fully embracing GRB?* From weak policies to ineffective public participation, we uncover the roadblocks and, more importantly, propose actionable solutions to drive real change. https://ipfglobal.or.ke/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/RE-IMAGINING-GENDER-RESPONSIVE-BUDGETING-FOR-MORE-INCLUSIVE-COUNTY-BUDGETS-1-1.pdf