Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to present the Union Budget for the fiscal year 2024-25 on Tuesday. The central government is expected to announce significant measures for the welfare and empowerment of women.
According to the Economic Survey 2023-2024, there has been a remarkable 218.8 per cent rise in the budget allocation for women's welfare from FY14 to FY25, reaching Rs 3.10 lakh crore. The Gender Budget Statement has risen by 38.7 per cent compared to FY24 BE, accounting for 6.5 per cent of the total Union Budget, the highest share since its introduction in FY06.
What is Gender Budgeting?
Gender budgeting is a strategy that includes gender considerations in the budgeting process. Its goal is to allocate public resources in a way that promotes gender equality and addresses the unique needs of different genders. It involves analysing and allocating budget resources in a way that addresses the specific needs and priorities of women and girls and promotes gender-sensitive policies and programs.
Emphasis on women-led development
The Economic Survey highlights the importance of women-led development, starting with the health and education of the girl child. Key indicators show progress in this area, with the national sex ratio at birth (SRB) improving from 918 to 930, and the maternal mortality rate decreasing from 130 to 97 per lakh live births.
Government initiatives
Mission Shakti is a women empowerment programme launched by the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) for the period 2021-2025. It aims to strengthen interventions for women's welfare, safety, and empowerment, making women equal partners in nation-building.
Initiatives like Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana, Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram, and PM Matru Vandana Yojana have also contributed to significant improvements in the welfare and empowerment of women and girls. These programs have led to an increase in institutional deliveries, from 78.9 per cent to 88.6 per cent, and improved public health service utilisation and birth spacing.
The Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 programmes focus on improving women's health beyond just calorie intake and improving overall health and immunity with proper micronutrients.
Education is a key to empowering women. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and the Right to Education have made sure that boys and girls enroll in school equally. For the past five years, more women have been enrolled in higher education than men.
Women's participation in skill development has increased. Under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), it grew from 42.7 per cent in FY16 to 52.3 per cent in FY24. The Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) Scheme has 82 per cent female beneficiaries. Women's involvement in ITIs and NSTIs rose from 9.8 per cent in FY16 to 13.3 per cent in FY24, and in the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS), it went up from 7.7 per cent in FY17 to 20.8 per cent in FY24.
The Women in Science and Engineering-KIRAN (WISE KIRAN) program has supported nearly 1,962 women scientists from 2018 to 2023.
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