Context: Gender Budget allocation in the total Union Budget increased from 6.8% in FY 2024-25 to 8.86% in FY 2025-26.

• Total allocation: Rs 4.49 lakh crore, a 37.25% increase from Rs 3.27 lakh crore in FY 2024-25.

Gender Budgeting in India

• About: Gender budgeting is a strategic tool used by governments to allocate resources efficiently based on the distinct needs of different genders.  

• It ensures that policies and resource allocations are gender-sensitive and address specific needs within existing frameworks. 

• Background: India’s gender equality commitment, starting with  Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), 1979 ratification in 1993, led to the first Gender Budget Statement in 2005-06, and it has been included annually since, reflecting ongoing focus on gender-sensitive policies. 

• Gender budgeting falls under the Samarthya sub-scheme of Mission Shakti. 

• Need: Gender budgeting is not just a fiscal tool but a moral necessity to break the cycle of gender inequality. 

• India ranks 129th out of 146 countries in the 2024 Gender Gap Report, indicating significant room for improvement in gender equality. 

• Empowered women contribute to future generations by investing in their children’s education and health, creating a positive cycle of development. 

Implementation

• Central Level: Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD). 

• State Level: Departments of Women and Child Development, Social Welfare, Finance, and Planning are responsible for gender budgeting at the state level. 

• District Level: The Hub for Empowerment of Women (HEW) coordinates gender budgeting at the district level, and each hub must have at least one gender specialist. 

• Importance: Promotes gender equality by addressing discrimination and exploitation and supports Sustainable Development Goal 5 (global gender equality) efforts. 

Expansion of Gender Budgeting Scope

More Ministries/Departments reporting Gender Budget allocations:

• Increased from 38 Ministries/Departments (FY 2024-25) to 49 Ministries/Departments (FY 2025-26).

• 5 Union Territories (UTs) continue to report allocations.

• This marks the highest-ever reporting since the Gender Budget Statement (GBS) was introduced.

New 12 Ministries/Departments included in Gender Budgeting for the first time:

1. Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying

2. Department of Biotechnology

3. Department of Food & Public Distribution

4. Department of Financial Services

5. Department of Fisheries

6. Department of Land Resources

7. Department of Pharmaceuticals

8. Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (RD & GR)

9. Ministry of Food Processing Industries

10. Ministry of Panchayati Raj

11. Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways

12. Ministry of Railways

Breakdown of Gender Budget Statement (GBS) Allocation

Three categories of allocations in the Gender Budget Statement:

• Part A (100% women-specific schemes): Rs 1,05,535.40 crore (23.50% of total GBS).

• Part B (30%-99% allocation for women): Rs 3,26,672.00 crore (72.75% of total GBS).

• Part C (below 30% allocation for women): Rs 16,821.28 crore (3.75% of total GBS).

Top 10 Ministries/Departments with Over 30% Gender Budget Allocation:

• Ministry of Women & Child Development – 81.79%

• Department of Rural Development – 65.76%

• Department of Food & Public Distribution – 50.92%

• Department of Health & Family Welfare – 41.10%

• Ministry of New & Renewable Energy – 40.89%

• Department of Social Justice & Empowerment – 39.01%

• Department of Higher Education – 33.94%

• Department of School Education & Literacy – 33.67%

• Ministry of Home Affairs – 33.47%

• Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation – 31.50%

Significance of Gender Budgeting in FY 2025-26

• Demonstrates a stronger policy commitment towards gender-sensitive budgeting.

• Increased participation of ministries enhances gender mainstreaming across multiple sectors.

• Higher allocation to rural development, education, and healthcare signifies a focus on women’s empowerment and social upliftment.

• Inclusion of new departments such as Railways, Ports, and Financial Services broadens the gender perspective beyond traditional welfare programs.

Challenges Does Gender Budgeting Face in India

• Ambiguities in Allocation: The unclear methodology for assigning funds to gender-sensitive schemes often results in discrepancies, such as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) being underreported in Part B despite its significant female workforce. 

• Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana–Grameen (PMAY-G), which prioritizes women's ownership of homes, reports only 23% of houses allotted to women, despite being classified in Part A of the GBS, which claims 100% allocation for women. 

• Concentration of Funds: Around 90% of the gender budget is concentrated in just a few ministries, with schemes like Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), MGNREGS, and PMAY-G, limiting its impact across other sectors. 

• Long-term Schemes: The inclusion of long-term schemes like Ayushman Bharat and Awas Yojana in gender budgeting diverts funds from immediate-impact programs such as Mission Shakti and female education, hindering real-time women’s empowerment and skill development. 

• Monitoring and Evaluation: Inadequate tracking mechanisms, poor quality of gender impact assessments, and a lack of gender-segregated data hinder the accurate assessment of needs and outcomes. 

• The United Nations calls for stronger sectoral monitoring and collaboration between the MWCD and Ministry of Finance to enhance the design and effectiveness of the Gender Budget Statement. 

• Political Will: Gender budgeting may not always align with political priorities, resulting in insufficient support. 

Road Ahead

• Integration: Gender budgeting should be integrated across all ministries, including infrastructure, and rural development, ensuring gender-sensitive allocations in every government initiative. 

• Invest in collecting and analyzing gender-specific data to better understand women's needs and the impact of policies. 

• State GBS: Encourage state governments to increase share in GRB to ensure the inclusion of vulnerable women, including those from tribal groups, in the planning process. 

• Clarification of Reporting Methods: There is a need for transparency in the allocation and reporting processes.  

• Public disclosure of the methodologies used to allocate funds and the rationale behind them would increase accountability. 

• Conduct regular gender audits across ministries to evaluate the effectiveness of the allocated funds. 

• Capacity Building: Training government officials, and stakeholders authorities on gender budgeting will help develop the necessary expertise to incorporate gender perspectives in budget utilizations and assessments.