Model Answer

Introduction

Women empowerment in India is a critical issue, as gender disparities persist in education, health, employment, and political participation. Gender budgeting, a fiscal tool aimed at promoting gender equality, has emerged as a solution to bridge these gaps. It ensures that government budgets respond to the different needs of women and men by allocating resources specifically for programs that benefit women.

Requirements of Gender Budgeting

1. Gender Analysis of Expenditure and Revenue: Governments must assess how public funds impact women and men differently, ensuring that budget allocations address the specific needs of women.

2. Dedicated Schemes and Fund Allocations: Gender budgeting requires the establishment of specific schemes aimed at improving women’s socio-economic status, such as in education, health, and employment.

3. Institutional Mechanisms: An effective gender budgeting process involves setting up dedicated institutional frameworks like gender cells within government departments to monitor and evaluate gender-related programs.

4. Capacity Building: Training government officials in gender analysis and sensitizing policymakers to the need for gender-responsive budgeting is essential.

5. Data Collection: Accurate data on gender-specific outcomes is necessary for effective monitoring and evaluation of the impact of budgetary allocations on women’s welfare.

Status of Gender Budgeting in India

India adopted gender budgeting in 2005-06, and since then, various ministries have integrated gender perspectives into their budgetary processes. However, the progress is mixed:

• In 2021-22, the Gender Budget constituted only 4.4% of the total Union Budget (Source: Ministry of Finance).
• Several flagship schemes like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana focus on women’s empowerment. However, the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP) found that many schemes lack proper monitoring mechanisms.
• Only a few states, such as Kerala and Bihar, have made notable progress in implementing gender budgeting at the local level.

Conclusion

While India has made strides in incorporating gender budgeting, its impact is hindered by inadequate implementation, lack of accountability, and insufficient focus on addressing systemic gender issues. To truly empower women, there must be stronger institutional mechanisms and targeted interventions backed by gender-disaggregated data and transparent monitoring.