ABSTRACT
This chapter summarizes the key developments in gender budgeting and equalities budget analysis in Scotland and Ailsa McKay's distinctive approach and pivotal role in the progress to date. Feminist activists seized upon the opportunity of political change as a chance to act on the relatively novel concept of gender budgeting that the 1995 Beijing Platforms for Action and experiences. A small group of women formed the Scottish Women's Budget Group (SWBG) around Ailsa McKay's kitchen table in 2000. SWBG aimed to ensure that gender impact analysis was embedded within the Scottish public policy and resource allocation processes. SWBG drew heavily on experiences from elsewhere, including the Commonwealth Secretariat principles that have helped to shape the approach in Scotland. Ailsa McKay's work, individually and as a group member, has provided the cornerstone for this development. Commitments from successive Scottish governments demonstrate political will to advance gender equality policy in Scotland.
