[Answered] Gender-responsive budgeting can help India’s women become key drivers of national growth. Discuss the significance of gender budgeting in achieving the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat’ and suggest measures to enhance its effectiveness.

Gender-responsive budgeting (GRB) is a crucial tool in ensuring that economic policies and fiscal allocations address gender disparities, fostering inclusive growth.

Significance of Gender Budgeting in Achieving ‘Viksit Bharat’

• Enhancing Female Labour Force Participation (FLFP): The FLFP has risen from 33% in 2021-22 to 42% in 2023-24, nearing the global average of 47%. However, a 37% gap remains compared to male participation.
• Boosting Women Entrepreneurship and Financial Inclusion: Simplified credit access through collateral-free loans and alternative credit scoring can unlock women-led business potential, with estimates suggesting 30 million additional women-owned enterprises could generate 150-170 million jobs by 2030.
• Formalizing Women in the Informal Sector & Gig Economy: With 90% of India’s working women in the informal sector, the e-Shram portal’s gig worker registration and identity card initiative is a significant step towards formalizing employment, ensuring social security, financial inclusion, and legal protections.
• Leveraging Technology and AI for Women’s Empowerment: The Centre of Excellence on AI for education and the ₹600 crore gender budget under the India AI Mission highlight efforts to equip women with digital and AI skills.

Measures to Enhance the Effectiveness of Gender Budgeting

• Institutionalizing Gender Mainstreaming Across All Ministries: Strengthen gender budget cells and ensure gender-responsive policies in all government programs. Establish gender impact assessments for major infrastructure projects, ensuring inclusivity in transport, housing, and urban planning.
• Improving Social Protection and Legal Safeguards: Expand maternity benefits, child-care support, and workplace safety regulations, especially in informal and gig economies. Ensure universal access to healthcare, education, and digital resources to eliminate gender-based disparities.
• Strengthening Financial and Digital Inclusion: Promote gender-specific financial literacy programs to enhance women’s access to credit, insurance, and banking services. Implement alternative credit scoring models to improve loan accessibility for women entrepreneurs.
• Enhancing Monitoring & Accountability: Introduce gender audits and strengthen the monitoring of fund utilization across gender-focused schemes. Establish a centralized dashboard tracking gender-disaggregated data to measure the impact of gender budgeting.

Conclusion

The Union Budget 2025-26 lays a strong foundation for women-led development, aligning with the vision of Viksit Bharat. However, achieving 70% of women’s economic participation by 2047 requires sustained investment in gender-responsive policies, legal reforms, and societal transformation. A whole-of-government approach, coupled with enhanced financial inclusion, skilling initiatives, and social security measures, will be key to unlocking women’s potential as drivers of India’s economic growth.