1. Introduction to Gender Budgeting

  1. Gender budgeting is a tool to promote gender equality by integrating a gender perspective into fiscal policies and resource allocation.
  2. Aims to address the socio-economic disparities faced by women and other genders.
  3. Focuses on assessing the impact of government expenditure and revenue policies on gender equality.
  4. Encourages the creation of gender-sensitive policies to empower women economically, socially, and politically.

2. Key Features of Gender Budgeting

  1. Analyzes the allocation of public funds for gender-specific programs.
  2. Includes expenditure tracking to evaluate the impact of programs on women and marginalized genders.
  3. Focuses on addressing issues such as education, health, employment, and violence against women.
  4. Encourages transparency and accountability in fiscal policy implementation.
  5. Involves collaboration between various ministries, NGOs, and stakeholders.

3. Gender Budget in India

  1. Introduced in 2005-06 by the Government of India.
  2. The Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) plays a crucial role in gender budgeting.
  3. Gender Budgeting Statement (GBS) is part of the Union Budget, classified into two categories:
    • Part A: Schemes with 100% allocation for women.
    • Part B: Schemes where at least 30% of allocation benefits women.
  4. Examples of gender-focused schemes include Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Mahila Shakti Kendra, and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana.

4. Gender Indicators

  1. Gender indicators are statistical tools used to measure progress in gender equality.
  2. Key indicators include:
    • Gender Development Index (GDI): Measures disparities in human development achievements between men and women.
    • Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM): Focuses on women's participation in economic and political decision-making.
    • Sex Ratio: Number of females per 1,000 males.
    • Female Labor Force Participation Rate: Measures women's contribution to the workforce.
    • Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR): Indicates the health status of women during childbirth.
  3. Indicators help policymakers identify gender gaps and develop targeted interventions.

5. Benefits of Gender Budgeting

  1. Promotes inclusive growth by addressing gender-specific needs.
  2. Improves women's access to public services and resources.
  3. Strengthens the policy framework for gender equality and women empowerment.
  4. Reduces gender disparities in health, education, and employment.
  5. Fosters economic development by enhancing women's participation in the workforce.

6. Challenges in Gender Budgeting

  1. Lack of awareness and understanding of gender budgeting among policymakers.
  2. Inadequate data collection on gender-disaggregated statistics.
  3. Limited resources allocated to gender-focused programs.
  4. Weak implementation and monitoring mechanisms.
  5. Social and cultural barriers that hinder women’s access to resources and opportunities.

7. Way Forward

  1. Strengthen capacity-building programs for policymakers on gender budgeting.
  2. Improve data collection systems to track gender-specific outcomes.
  3. Increase funding for gender-sensitive programs and schemes.
  4. Promote community participation to ensure effective implementation of policies.
  5. Enhance monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to measure progress and address challenges.

Category

Questions

  1. What is the role of gender-disaggregated data in gender budgeting?
  2. Which of the following is a pro-women scheme listed under gender budgeting?
  3. How can gender budgeting contribute to reducing gender inequality?
  4. Which scheme under gender budgeting addresses women’s safety in public transport?
  5. Which organization publishes the Global Gender Gap Report?
  6. What is one of the goals of gender budgeting in employment?
  7. Which of the following is a gender-sensitive indicator in health?
  8. What is the purpose of monitoring gender-responsive policies?
  9. Which international day highlights issues related to gender equality globally?
  10. What is the primary focus of gender budgeting in education?
  11. Which ministry introduced guidelines for Gender Budgeting Cells?
  12. What percentage of India's total budget is allocated for gender budgeting (approx.)?
  13. Which of the following is a challenge in implementing gender budgeting in India?
  14. What is the focus of Gender Budgeting Cells (GBCs) in ministries?
  15. Which report annually reviews the progress of gender budgeting in India?
  16. Which government scheme focuses on women's entrepreneurship under gender budgeting?
  17. Which index measures gender inequality in political empowerment, education, and economic participation?
  18. What does Part B in the Gender Budget Statement include?
  19. Which of the following sectors has significant gender budget allocations in India?
  20. What is the purpose of Part A in the Gender Budget Statement?
  21. What does the Gender Budget Statement (GBS) in India consist of?
  22. Which of the following is an example of a gender-specific expenditure?
  23. Which international body advocates for gender budgeting globally?
  24. What is a key indicator of gender budgeting success?
  25. What is a gender development index (GDI)?
  26. Which state in India first adopted gender budgeting at the state level?
  27. Which committee in India highlighted the need for gender-responsive budgeting?
  28. Which of the following is not a component of gender budgeting?
  29. What does a gender budget primarily focus on?
  30. Which ministry pioneered the concept of gender budgeting in India?
  31. Which year did India introduce gender budgeting?
  32. What is the primary aim of a gender budget?
  33. What is the Global Gender Gap Index rank of India (2023)?
  34. How does gender budgeting address violence against women?
  35. What does Gender Parity Index (GPI) measure?
  36. Which scheme encourages financial inclusion of women in India?
  37. Which flagship scheme supports skill development for women under gender budgeting?