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IWWAGE-Institute for What Works to Advance Gender Equality

Gender Responsiveness of Union Budget 2023
Gender-responsiveness of Union budget 2023

Dipa Sinha is an Assistant Professor at the School of Liberal Studies, Ambedkar University Delhi (AUD). Before joining AUD, she worked with the Office of Commissioners to the Supreme Court, Centre for Equity Studies and Public Health Research Network, and is actively involved with the Right to Food Campaign. She has worked on issues related to food rights, nutrition and public health. Dipa was a member of the Project Team for the report on Nutrition and Food Systems (Committee on World Food Security, FAO).

The talk focused on spending by the government which has an impact on women, especially in the social sector. The two takeaways from the Union Budget:

  • Crowding-in of investment and reduction of fiscal deficit. The question arises as to which sector the spending has been being cut.
  • One of the seven priorities (Saptarishi) is the empowerment of women as one of the agenda

India’s current macroeconomic scenario shows a K-shaped recovery; growth slowdown (a pre-pandemic trend) and stagnant real wages. The excess capital spending seems to be made at the cost of expenditure in the social sector. Moreover, the components of capital expenditure where investment has increased are:

  1. Energy – laying of pipelines
  2. Transportation – construction of highways
  3. Communication – postal services and other services

It must be noted that increasing capital expenditure does not directly create employment as the sectors are mostly mechanized. It does not directly and immediately create employment. Though it can be argued that it can revive the economy in the long run. This holds true for the social sector as well. Thus, it can be questioned why to choose capital expenditure over investment in the social sector. This is where the vision of the government about growth and development is clearly visible. When capital expenditure is expanded, investment is mainly made at the top and reaches the bottom gradually. Thus depending on trickle-down economics works in favour of large corporations and there is no direct focus on generating employment. On the other hand, increasing spending in the social sector will directly increase employment opportunities as it is a labour-intensive sector. This would increase their basic expenditure as money will be spent on basic necessities (like soap, and toothbrushes). Thus helping revive the economy too.

Given that inclusive development is one of the saptarishis, health, and education could have been the focus areas where the government could have increased budgetary allocations. This would have been inclusive in nature and increased the productivity of the economy. Also, the tax on corporations after adjustments is regressive in nature. Large corporations effectively have lower tax rates imposed on them than smaller ones. The payment to the Food Corporation of India has been reduced and they have been asked to borrow from the open market. The latter portrays a picture of inefficient functioning which necessarily need not be true.

Some of notable points regarding spending on various schemes as seen in the latest budget are:

  • Increase: Jal Jeevan Mission
  • Almost no change: Saksham Anganwadi, Poshan Abhiyan, a scheme for adolescent girls, National Social Assistance Programme
  • Decrease: Mid-day meal scheme, Samarthya, ICDS, MGNREGS, PM-POSHAN

Key Takeaways

The extent to which an increase in capital expenditure can lead to employment generation is questionable. Since spending is mainly on highways and railways, which are capital-intensive sectors, an increase in wage work is unlikely. The priority of the government is to maintain the fiscal deficit which will keep the foreign investment intact and which will contribute to decent ratings by international organizations and parameters like ease of doing business. An alternative could be to spend on schemes like MGNREGA or on food subsidies which can revive demand. Also, improving public and health infrastructure can lead to human development which will in turn increase productivity and generate employment opportunities.

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Please find the full presentation here.

Understanding the barriers to womens career advancement in manufacturing sector

The COVID-19 pandemic catalysed a shift in how we work, bringing hybrid work models into the spotlight—especially for women. These flexible arrangements offer greater autonomy over time, often leading to improved work-life balance, reduced costs, and higher productivity. However, the benefits and challenges of hybrid work are not experienced equally—its effects are often gendered.

While most existing research on hybrid work focuses on ICT-intensive sectors, there’s limited data on how women across different industries and regions are engaging with this model. With the government’s push for a digitally empowered society under the Digital India Programme, and a growing emphasis on enterprise development in peri-urban and rural areas, hybrid work holds promise for expanding economic opportunities for women.

This rapid assessment captures insights from 400 working women, including 150 currently in hybrid roles, across sectors such as technology, social services, and healthcare. With an average respondent age of 27 years and nearly half residing outside metropolitan areas, the study highlights both the opportunities and gaps in hybrid work adoption. A case study from a rural BPO in Uttarakhand further explores how hybrid work could transform women’s employment in non-urban settings.

Gender Responsive Budgeting: Good Practices from Select States

Mainstreaming gender into development financing has gained global momentum, with the Addis Ababa Action Agenda reinforcing the need for gender-sensitive approaches in financial, economic, and social policies. In India, the journey towards Gender Responsive Budgeting (GRB) began with efforts in the Sixth Five Year Plan and was institutionalised at the central level in 2004-05. GRB aims to integrate gender considerations across development planning, programme formulation, and budgeting processes.

India’s GRB mechanism functions through Gender Budget Cells and the Gender Budget Statement (GBS), covering 57 ministries as of 2022. While the framework provides an avenue for monitoring fund allocations and their impact on gender equality, significant gaps remain in its implementation. State governments, such as Odisha and Kerala, have shown greater success in embedding gender concerns into policy-making, with Odisha allocating over 40% of its budget towards gender priorities. However, at the national level, gender budgeting remains low, accounting for less than 5% of the Union Budget.

This brief highlights the diverse approaches to GRB across states like Odisha, Karnataka, Kerala, and Andhra Pradesh, showcasing experiences, lessons learnt, and good practices in advancing gender equality through fiscal policy.

Hybrid Models and Women’s Work in India, Emerging Insights

This rapid assessment delves into how hybrid work models are reshaping employment opportunities for women in India, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. With a focus on flexible working arrangements, the study explores the perceived benefits and challenges of hybrid work for women across different sectors and regions. Data was collected through phone and online surveys from 400 working women, 150 of whom were working in a hybrid model. The assessment highlights the potential of hybrid work, especially in rural India, with a case study of a BPO company in Uttarakhand illustrating the model’s impact.

Key findings suggest that hybrid work offers greater autonomy, work-life balance, and productivity, but challenges remain in its adoption across various sectors, especially beyond ICT-intensive industries. The study also explores the gendered nature of hybrid work, providing insights into how it affects women differently, particularly in non-metropolitan areas. With India’s focus on digital empowerment and enterprise development through the Digital India Programme, hybrid models have the potential to unlock new employment avenues for women, both in urban and rural settings.

This publication offers a comprehensive understanding of how women are adapting to hybrid work models and their implications for women’s economic empowerment in India.

Creating Flexible and Gender-responsive Workplaces

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a significant shift in the ‘future of work,’ with remote work rapidly becoming a global norm. In India, this shift was accompanied by a gendered impact-women faced higher job losses and slower recovery rates than men, particularly among the highly educated. Despite challenges such as lack of infrastructure and fear of career setbacks, there is a growing demand among women for flexible work arrangements. Studies show that 8 in 10 women in India now prefer greater workplace flexibility, underscoring the need for gender-responsive remote work policies.

Recognising these trends, the Government of India, along with several state governments, has initiated efforts to create remote work ecosystems, including ‘Work Near Home’ centres and co-working spaces. These initiatives, especially in the services sector like IT/ITES-which employs over 4.7 million people with 35% female representation-offer a unique opportunity to boost women’s labour force participation. However, for such models to be inclusive and scalable, they must incorporate thoughtful design principles that address sector-specific challenges and prioritise women’s needs for safety, infrastructure, and digital access.