Gender Budgeting in India: A tool for womans empowerment

Gender budgeting is an analytical instrument that guarantees the autonomy of gendered money resources in public sector financing. There is prioritizing of the budgets provided by governments based on the gender differences that come with particular budgets, and then the resources are provided to negate the affected gender differences.

Requirements for Effective Gender Budgeting:

1. Gender-Sensitive Budgeting: This consists in identifying of the quantitative sex needs and then distribution of the characteristics accordingly.
2. Data Disaggregation: Aggregating the data by sex, and comprehending gender differences.
3. Capacity Building: Implementing Gender Budgeting principles and Techniques for Head of Civil Service Trainers and other government officials.
4. Institutional Mechanisms: Implementation of a process similar to or known as the establishment of gender budgeting cells or units in each and every governmental department.
5. Public Awareness: Informing the public on the existence of gender budgeting and the reason for implementing this process.
6. Monitoring and Evaluation: Conducted Periodic Reviews of the contextualization and general application of gendering budgeting measures.

Status of Gender Budgeting in India:

India too has gone some way in the direction of gender budgeting. Significant developments are:

-Institutionalization: The gender budgeting cells have been created in ministries and departments.
-Data Collection and Analysis: An attempt is being made to compile and study gender-break down data.
-Policy Integration: Several of the government policies and programs are adopting gender budgeting factors and policies.
-Public Awareness: Awareness can be initiated trough organizational and educational campaigns, where workshops are being carried out for the population.

But a lot still has to be done to ensure that gender budgeting is optimally realised in India. These are:

-Adequate Data: Absence of data about concrete requirements and consequencies of gender.
-Capacity Constraints: Lack of capacity within government departments render the gender budgetary instruments ineffectual.
-Political Will: The female budgeting exercise is most effective when there is long-term political support.