India has completed 20 years of implementing gender budgeting policies, and the share of gender budgeting in total expenditure has increased to 6.8 percent in 2024 from 4.5 percent in 2014, according to a report by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
The gender budget allocation for 2024-25 stands at Rs 3.27 lakh crore, marking an increase of 18.9 percent over the revised estimates for 2023-24.
The Center’s Gender Budget is divided into three parts. Part A includes schemes that specifically benefit women, while Part B consists of schemes where at least 30 percent of the funds are directed towards the welfare of women.
A new section, Section C, was launched in 2024-25, focusing on programs where less than 30 percent of funds are allocated to women’s welfare.
The RBI report said the increase in the share of Part A, especially between 2021 and 2025, was driven by schemes like Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana (housing for poor families) and LPG connections for poor families.
The RBI also added that gender budgeting has brought about significant changes in India’s fiscal policies, promoting gender equality in education, healthcare, and infrastructure. India is among the 23 countries that are globally recognized for their efforts in this area.
It said, “Gender budgeting has resulted in changes in India’s fiscal policies for education, health, and infrastructure, advancing gender-focused policies in India.”
The report suggested that introducing clear cost-sharing mechanisms and legal frameworks, such as the proposed Gender Budgeting Act, could further strengthen transparency and effectiveness in advancing gender-focused policies.
“Furthermore, creating legal provisions, such as the Gender Budgeting Act proposed by NITI Aayog in 2022, would provide a strong framework to guide these efforts,” the report added.
In the 2024-25 fiscal year, the Department of Rural Development accounted for 63.7% of the Part A allocation, followed by Housing and Urban Affairs (23.3 percent) and Petroleum and Natural Gas (8.1 percent). Together, these three departments account for more than 95 percent of the budgeted expenditures under Part A.
Gender budgeting, introduced in the Union Budget 2005-06, aims to ensure gender responsive financial policies. This program gained momentum with the establishment of Gender Budgeting Cells in all departments in 2007.
Odisha led the way at the state level, adopting a gender budget in 2004-05. For the year 2024-25, 11 states are introducing Gender Budget Statements (GBSs).