Gender Budgeting: Critical Analysis

Defining Gender Budgeting: Gender budgeting is a strategic tool aimed at achieving gender mainstreaming, ensuring equitable development benefits for both women and men. The Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) emphasizes its role in integrating gender perspectives into policy formulation, implementation, and review processes. The annual publication of the Gender Budget Statement (GBS) alongside the Union Budget is a key aspect of this initiative.

Table of Contents

Key Components and Objectives:

Reporting Mechanism: GBS serves as a reporting mechanism for ministries/departments, urging them to assess their programs through a gender lens.
Integration, Not Separation: Gender budgeting is not a standalone accounting exercise but an ongoing process, deeply embedded in policy/program formulation and implementation.
Dissecting Government Budgets: The approach involves dissecting government budgets to discern gender-specific impacts and ensure alignment of gender commitments with budgetary allocations.

Parts of Gender Budget

Part A includes schemes with 100% allocation for women (for ex: Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Ujjawala, Mahila Shakti Kendra, Anganwadi, etc.)
Part B with schemes allocating at least 30% of funds for women (for ex: Mid-day meals program, PM POSHAN, etc.)

Evolution of Gender Budgeting in India:

2001: The Finance Minister highlights gender budgeting in the Budget speech, and the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP) analyzes the Union Budget 2001-02 from a gender perspective.
2005-06: Introduction of the Gender Budget, emphasizing Women Specific Schemes (with 100% allocation for women) and Pro-Women’s Schemes (with at least 30% allocation for women).
2007: The Department of Expenditure issues a charter outlining the composition and functions of Gender Budgeting Cells (GBCs).
2010: The Planning Commission recommends the adoption of Gender Responsive Budgeting or Gender Budgeting, replacing the Women Component Plan.
2021: The MoWCD reports that 27 states/UTs have embraced Gender Budgeting.

Challenges in India’s Gender Budgeting Landscape:

Quantum and Fiscal Precision: India’s gender budget, accounting for 4-6% of total expenditure and less than 1% of GDP, reveals a need for greater fiscal precision. Fiscal marksmanship, crucial for accurate budgetary forecasting, remains an area requiring attention.
Concentration in Key Ministries: Approximately 90% of gender budgeting is centralized in five ministries, with the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) dominating in the livelihood sector. Essential areas like transportation, water collection, and water security are left under-addressed.
Post-Covid-19 Approach: The recent budgets fail to address critical pandemic-induced issues, despite the disproportionate impact on women. Challenges include the scarcity of disaggregated gender-specific data for assessing the impact of allocations on gender equality. The budgeting process is often linked to schemes rather than measurable outcomes.

Recommendations for Improvement:

Data Availability: Enhance the availability of disaggregated gender-specific data sets for comprehensive analysis across schemes and programs.
Outcome-Focused Budgeting: Shift from scheme-centric budgeting to outcome-oriented approaches, especially concerning health infrastructure and its impact on female mortality rates.
Setting Time-Bound Goals: Establish clear, time-bound goals for parameters like female school enrollment, gender-based violence, health, and labor force participation.
Gender Auditing Authority: Create an independent authority for gender auditing, conducting annual impact assessments on budgetary allocations to ensure accountability.
Capacity Building: Undertake comprehensive capacity-building initiatives across government bodies, corporates, public sector undertakings, NGOs, and other involved agencies.
National Reporting Platform: Establish a national-level reporting platform under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation to collect disaggregated sex-specific data for a thorough understanding of the gender budgeting impact.
Engage Central Statistics Office: Collaborate with the Central Statistics Office to enhance data collection and analysis techniques.

FAQs

Q: What is Gender Budgeting?

Gender Budgeting is an approach used by governments to ensure that budget allocations and spending take into account gender equality and women’s empowerment. It involves analyzing the budget through a gender lens to understand how policies and expenditures impact different genders.

Q: Why is Gender Budgeting Important?

Gender Budgeting is crucial for addressing gender disparities and promoting equal opportunities. By considering the needs and priorities of different genders in budget planning, governments can allocate resources more effectively to enhance social inclusion, reduce gender inequalities, and advance women’s rights and participation in various sectors.

Q: What are the Challenges of Implementing Gender Budgeting?

Despite its potential benefits, implementing Gender Budgeting faces several challenges. These include inadequate data disaggregation by gender, resistance from traditional budgeting processes and stakeholders, limited capacity and expertise in gender analysis within government institutions, and the need for sustained political commitment and leadership to ensure its integration into budgetary practices.

Q: What are the Criticisms of Gender Budgeting?

Critics argue that Gender Budgeting may oversimplify complex gender issues, leading to tokenistic measures rather than substantive changes. There are concerns that it could reinforce gender stereotypes or neglect intersectional inequalities by focusing solely on gender. Moreover, some critics question its effectiveness in achieving meaningful gender equality outcomes, especially if not accompanied by broader structural reforms.

Q: How Effective is Gender Budgeting in Promoting Gender Equality?

Assessing the effectiveness of Gender Budgeting requires careful evaluation of its implementation and outcomes. While some studies suggest positive impacts on gender equality indicators such as women’s participation in the economy and access to services, others highlight the need for continuous monitoring and evaluation to ensure its effectiveness. Ultimately, the success of Gender Budgeting depends on its integration into broader policy frameworks and commitment to addressing underlying structural barriers to gender equality.

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Gender Budgeting: Critical Analysis – UPSC Social Justice Notes