Gender Budgeting As A Concept Of Inclusive Development

Abstract

Gender equality has been defined by the UN as “the equal rights, responsibilities, and opportunities of women and men and girls and boys.” Gender Budget was initiated to empower women through gender equality. Gender budgets are done to address crucial gender gaps and allocations to be based on planning at the grass-root level. The programs and policies should be designed to address gender-based problems such as violence, sexual harassment, and the wage gap. In India, gender-responsive budgeting was first introduced in 2001 and mandated in 2006, with the aim of gender inclusivity at all stages of policymaking. In a country with a 48% female population, a gender budget statement that is less than even 5% of the total Budget reflects the low priority that women empowerment holds in our policies. This article focuses on various schemes to empower women in sectors of education, health, and livelihoods. The allocation of funds towards Gender Budgeting and its contribution towards GDP.