Mains Practice Questions

Introduction

Gender budgeting, introduced in India in 2005–06, refers to the application of gender perspectives in the budgeting process to promote gender equality and women empowerment. With women forming over 48% of the population, gender budgeting serves as a vital policy tool.

Body

Role of Gender Budgeting in Empowerment:

• Equitable Resource Allocation: Gender budgeting ensures dedicated financial resources for women-centric programs, promoting gender equality.
  • The gender budget allocation has consistently increased, with over ₹4 lakh crore allocated in 2025-26, reflecting a commitment to reducing gender disparities.
• Economic Empowerment and Inclusion: Gender budgeting addresses gender-based inequalities in education and employment.
  • With women’s workforce participation rose 42% (2023–24), gender budgeting supports further inclusion through employment and entrepreneurship schemes like Skill India, DAY-NRLM.
• Safety and Equal Opportunity: The Nirbhaya Fund's support for initiatives like the Safe Cities Project highlights the potential of gender budgeting in strengthening women’s safety.
  • Gender budgeting also promotes women’s leadership, seen in schemes like Stand-Up India, where more than 81% account holders are women.

Current Status of Gender Budgeting in India:

• Encouraging Development : Gender budgeting has expanded across 49 ministries, including 12 new entrants like railways, ports, mainstreaming gender concerns beyond the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
  • More than 14000 women help desks set up, and headed by women officers.
  • Safe City Projects implemented in 8 metro cities for women’s public safety.
  • 20.5% of MSMEs are women-led, employing 27 million people.
• Challenges Persist: Not all ministries have Gender Budgeting Cells (GBCs), and less than 30% of the total grants are reflected in the Gender Budgeting Statement.

Key Requirements for Effective Implementation

• Timely Utilization and Accountability: 76% of the Nirbhaya Fund has been utilized, and delays in Utilisation Certificates hinder full accountability. Tools like the Gender Budget Statement and e-Shram Portal aid in monitoring and assessing scheme impact.
• Capacity Building: Training ministries and state departments through Gender Budgeting Cells (GBCs) for better planning and execution.
• Simplified Access to Finance: Women benefit from collateral-free loans, alternative credit checks, and financial literacy (e.g., KCC, Mudra Yojana), while worker registration ensures social security and job protection.

Conclusion

Gender budgeting in India plays a crucial role in promoting women’s empowerment by allocating resources to women-centric initiatives. With continued focus and effective implementation, it can help achieve SDG 5 (Gender Equality) ensuring equitable growth for women across sectors.