Demography

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.

Age Structure and Fertility Rates: Managing Demographic Change in Developing Nations

Of all the demography characteristics, age and fertility influencing population development in developing nations are crucial factors.

Age Structure:
Youth Bulge: They are a resource that if given a large population of young people can cause fast overpopulation therefore a lot of demands on the available resources and development infrastructure.
-Aging Population: Few births you have correspond with higher level of dependency of the aged as people age thus implying a higher number of the aged and those who will be being supported by working population.
Demographic Dividend: The time when a majority of the population is in the working population. In such a case economic growth and development is possible if there is investment in education, health and employment.

Fertility Rates:

High Fertility Rates: Problem of providing basic needs such education, health and employment in areas of rapid population growth due to high fertility rates will arise.
One could slow the rate of growth of the population and leave it in its old age. It has advantages and disadvantages – on one hand less resources are being used, on the other hand – economic issues may arise.

It is influenced by fertility rate meaning it is associated with several effects that a country can go through on the social, economic and environmental front. For instance, high fertility population that happens within the youthful population may find it difficult to facilitate education and health facility while the aged people require much investment on the social security and health services.