First-ever National Consultation on Gender Budgeting organized by the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD).

• The Ministry also launched a ‘Gender Budgeting Knowledge Hub’ portal. 

Understanding Gender Budgeting: A Global and Indian Perspective

• OECD Definition: A policy tool used by governments to close gender gaps by ensuring gender perspectives are integrated into budgetary processes.
• Functionality and Rationale: 
  • Tool for Gender Mainstreaming: Gender budgeting applies a gender lens to the entire policy process, using the budget as an entry point.
  • Equality and Efficiency: Promotes equality and enhances economic efficiency by ensuring resources are allocated to address gender inequalities.
  • Women-Specific Budgeting: The budget estimates allocations targeting women and girls directly.

Gender Budgeting in India

• Introduced in 2005–06, gender budgeting in India began as a fiscal reporting mechanism but has evolved into a gender responsive governance tool aimed at advancing gender equality.
• The goal is to ensure that government budgets and schemes address the needs and interests of all genders, especially women and girls.

Components of Gender Budgeting in India

• Part A: Reflects women-specific schemes (100% allocation for women).
• Part B: Reflects pro-women schemes (at least 30% of the budget is allocated to women).

Key Data from Gender Budget 2025-26

• Total Gender Budget Allocation: Over the past 11 years, Gender Budget allocations have increased by four and half times – from Rs. 0.98 lakh crore in 2014-15 to Rs. 4.49 lakh crore in 2025-26.

Gender Budgeting key milestones

• PMAY Reporting: Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana now reports entirely under Part A, reflecting the shift toward more inclusive gender reporting.
• Sector Contributions: Notable increases from Ministries like Home Affairs, Electronics & IT, and Rural Development.
• Institutional mechanisms such as Gender Budget Cells (GBCs) in Ministries/Departments.
• Integration of gender-disaggregated data, gender audits, and impact evaluations into the budgeting process.

Significance of Gender Budgeting

• Informed Policy Choices: Helps policymakers understand the gender implications of their decisions.
• Improved Resource Utilization: Gender budgeting optimizes the use of public funds, addressing gender gaps more effectively.
  • Facilitates evidence-based planning and mainstreaming of gender concerns across sectors,
• Impact on Societal Attitudes: Encourages gender equality by influencing societal behaviors and perceptions.
• Transparency and Accountability: Ensures that funds allocated for women are spent as intended, improving accountability.
• Sustainable and Inclusive Development: Supports SDG Goal 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG Goal 10 (Reduced Inequalities).

Challenges in Gender Budgeting

• Technical and Implementation Issues
  • Lack of Expertise: Challenges include insufficient guidance and coordination among personnel handling gender budgeting.
  • Inconsistent Implementation: Gender budgeting is not uniformly practiced across all sectors or schemes.
• Data Issues
  • Absence of Gender-Disaggregated Data: Lack of data limits the effectiveness of gender budgeting policies and initiatives.
• Reporting Anomalies
  • Over-Reporting: Some schemes, like the PM Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), report disproportionately high allocations to women without sufficient justification.
• Under-Reporting: Schemes like MGNREGA do not fully reflect their impact on women, with only a portion of their budget allocated in the Gender Budget Statement.

Way Forward for Gender Budgeting in India

• Incorporation of Explanations for Allocations: Adding detailed explanations for entries in the Gender Budget Statement (GBS) would ensure better transparency and accuracy.
• Gender Budgeting Act: NITI Aayog suggests a legal framework to institutionalize gender budgeting across ministries and states.
• Better Data Collection: Improving systems for gender-disaggregated data to track the progress of gender-sensitive policies.
• Encouraging State Governments: NITI Aayog recommends state governments to increase allocations for women’s welfare and development programs.
• Monitoring and Evaluation: Implementing better monitoring mechanisms to ensure that funds are effectively utilized to close gender gaps.

Conclusion

Gender budgeting is a transformative tool for advancing gender equality through fiscal policies. India’s commitment to enhancing the gender budget allocation reflects its growing recognition of the importance of addressing gender disparities. 

• By overcoming challenges such as data gaps, technical issues, and inconsistent implementation, gender budgeting can play a pivotal role in achieving gender equality and empowerment for women across the nation.

DOWNLOAD PDF