Women in India fall behind men on multiple development indicators, and the situation calls for women-centric development policies and gender-responsive budgeting at all levels. The implementation of the 73rd and 74th CAA did bring about a paradigm shift in women’s participation in active politics at the local level. Still, there are many stereotypical issues, persisting for centuries that remain to be addressed
Women in India lag behind their male counterparts in education, employment and representation in active politics. The situation is improving in the country, but gaps still exist. Let’s look at the literacy rate of women and men in India; according to the World Bank India report, only one of 11 girls was literate at the time of India’s independence about nine per cent. And at present, the women’s literacy rate has jumped to 77 per cent, while India’s male literacy rate stands at 84.7 per cent. Governments at the centre and states have introduced many incentives to decrease girls’ dropping out of school. There are many societal and cultural issues which force girls to drop out. Governments have noted those issues and made special budgetary provisions for resolving the problems. A detailed research report by Observer Research Foundation quotes the Periodic Labour Force Survey 2021- 22 and underlines that only 32.8 percent of women between the ages of 15- 29 years were part of India’s labour force in 2021-2022, while men were at 77.2 percent. Women’s representation in government service is also significantly low. In 2011, just 11 per cent of central government employees were women. By 2020, that number had only risen to 13 per cent. And in 2022, only 14 per cent of all secretaries in the Indian Administrative Service were women.
These numbers clearly indicate that there is still a long way to go regarding gender equality. Women make up about 48 per cent of the country’s population, but they are still underrepresented in positions of power. There are many societal and cultural reasons, including discrimination, lack of opportunities and the right social support system.
POLITICAL REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN
Political representation of women in Indian politics has been sporadic. In 75 years of India’s independent history, the country had only one female Prime Minister and two Presidents. However, the nation has seen the rise of many strong female politicians at the state and national levels. This includes many prominent union ministers and state chief ministers. But the representation of women in the Indian parliament is abysmally low. It is just a little above 14 per cent. This is so far the highest women representation in Lok Sabha since Independence. As per the latest Election Commission of India (ECI) data, the scenario for women Members of Legislative Assemblies (MLAs) across all state assemblies in India is even worse, with the national average being a pitiable nine per cent.
After the introduction of the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendment Act (CAA), the rise of female participation in rural and urban local bodies has been phenomenal, but the phenomenon was marred with dynastic politics and ‘proxy’ leaderships where the male members of the house would handle political affairs on behalf of the elected female leaders. The constitutional amendment ensured that there is at least a 33 per cent reservation for women in local politics. Some states have made provisions of 50 per cent reservation for women. The situation has changed, but one can hear some incidents of ‘Mayor-Pati’ or ‘Sarpanch-Pati’ here and there. Undoubtedly, many women leaders have made a mark for themselves despite social challenges. It is for sure that the prospects of women in politics looks promising as many women leaders are gradually coming to the fore. It is to be noted that two women presidents India has seen were elected in the last two decades. Women in politics can improve the overall political environment and make it inclusive and convenient for them to participate actively. Women leaders can better understand gender issues, make policy-level changes, and allocate more budget for the schemes that help build inclusive and gender-sensitive development in cities and elsewhere.
GENDER-RESPONSIVE BUDGETING
Many international and national organisations have endorsed gender responsive budgeting (GRB) to bring gender neutrality in the development process. It is a process of analyzing government budgets to identify and address gender disparities. It involves examining how different programmes and policies impact women and men and making changes to ensure women benefit equally. It is not a new concept, but its effective implementation still awaits the light of the day. In India, GRB was first introduced in 2005-2006 and has grown in popularity ever since. It has been used in other countries for many years and is an effective way to improve women’s lives.
However, there are still challenges to implementing GRB effectively. One challenge is that it requires a lot of data. To assess the impact of different programs and policies, it is necessary to collect data on enrolment, employment, and salaries. This data can be difficult to manage, and it can be expensive to analyse. Another challenge is that GRB requires a change in mindset. It requires policymakers to think about the impact of their decisions on women, and it needs them to be willing to make changes to those decisions if necessary. This can be a problematic mindset shift for some people, but it is essential to achieve gender equality. Despite the challenges, GRB is a promising tool for improving women’s lives in India. The government of India has been publishing a Handbook on Gender Budgeting for almost two decades, which has been revised too. A key recommendation has been that within states, the gender focal point should be pursued through the forum of the State Planning Board, the Annual Plan of respective states should be evaluated, and a Gender Task Force should be formulated at the state, district, block, village/Urban Local Bodies levels. The central, state, and local governments should also take proactive measures to ensure that their budgets are scanned through a gender lens and that the demands and requirements of women in their respective jurisdictions are met. It is their responsibility to ensure that women get equal opportunities to participate in vibrant urban spaces else the objective of building inclusive cities will not be met.
In 75 years of India’s independent history, the country had only one female Prime Minister and two Presidents. However, the nation has seen the rise of many strong female politicians at the state and national levels. This includes many prominent union ministers and state chief ministers. But the representation of women in the Indian parliament is abysmally low. It is just a little above 14 per cent. This is so far the highest women representation in Lok Sabha since Independence. As per the latest Election Commission of India (ECI) data, the scenario for women Members of Legislative Assemblies (MLAs) across all state assemblies in India is even worse, with the national average being a pitiable nine per cent