Context

• The Union Budget 2025-26 has been widely acknowledged for its increased allocation towards women-centric schemes, with the gender budget rising to ₹4.49 lakh crore, a significant 37.25% increase from the previous fiscal year.
• However, despite the substantial rise in allocations, the benefits have not been equally distributed, particularly among marginalized women from Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities.
• Therefore, there is the need to critically evaluate the gender budget’s effectiveness, highlighting its key shortcomings, structural barriers, and potential solutions to improve its impact.

Primary Concern Surrounding the Gender Budget: Rising Allocations, Limited Outcomes

• Over the years, the gender budget has grown consistently, reflecting the government’s intent to bridge gender disparities.
• However, economic benefits have not reached women in proportion to these allocations, especially among marginalised groups.
• The government has introduced targeted schemes such as the PM Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN) and the Dharti Aba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan, yet their actual impact remains limited.
• These schemes have struggled to address the deep-rooted socio-economic disadvantages faced by SC/ST women.
• One major issue is the lack of an intersectional approach in gender budgeting.
• Despite India having a gender budget for two decades, it has failed to incorporate learnings from previous budgets or consider factors such as caste, class, and tribal identity.
• Without addressing these intersections, welfare programs remain ineffective in transforming the lives of marginalized women.

Structural Barriers and Implementation Challenges

• Digital Exclusion
  • Several structural barriers hinder the effective implementation of gender-focused schemes. One such challenge is digital exclusion.
  • While digitisation aims to eliminate intermediaries, many women, particularly in rural and tribal areas, lack digital literacy, preventing them from accessing welfare benefits independently.
  • Without investment in digital literacy programs, the government's push for digitized welfare delivery may inadvertently create new barriers rather than eliminating old ones.
• Outdated Census Data
  • Another significant challenge is the outdated Census data.
  • The last Census in India was conducted in 2011, meaning current policy decisions are based on data that is over a decade old.
  • This gap in updated statistics weakens accountability mechanisms and makes it difficult to assess whether funds are reaching those who need them most.
  • For instance, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs saw a 45.79% budget increase, yet there is no gender-disaggregated data available to evaluate how these funds benefit SC/ST women specifically.
• Bureaucratic Inefficiencies
  • Bureaucratic inefficiencies further limit the effectiveness of gender-focused allocations.
  • The ‘Dalit Adivasi Budget Analysis 2023-24’ report found that over 35% of funds allocated under the SC and ST Sub-Plans remain underutilised due to complex procedures, lack of community involvement, and poor outreach.
  • Many women struggle to navigate financial and bureaucratic jargon, making it harder for them to benefit from government initiatives.

Key Areas for Reform

• Adopting an Intersectional Approach
  • Gender budgets must be designed with an understanding of how caste, class, and tribal identities influence access to resources.
  • A comprehensive audit should be conducted at both central and state levels to ensure budget allocations address these factors effectively.
• Strengthening Local Governance and Panchayati Raj Institutions
  • Panchayati Raj institutions play a crucial role in delivering services at the grassroots level, yet they often lack autonomy and resources.
  • Strengthening these institutions, providing adequate funding, and preventing the dominance of ‘sarpanch husbands’ (male relatives of elected female leaders who control decision-making) are necessary steps for ensuring that schemes benefit women directly.
• Community-Led Participatory Planning
  • Involving women, particularly those from SC/ST backgrounds, in the planning and monitoring of welfare schemes can improve their effectiveness.
  • The Kudumbashree model from Kerala demonstrates how community-led initiatives can enhance outreach and implementation. Similar models should be adopted nationwide.
• Improving Data Collection and Transparency
  • The government must ensure regular updates to gender-disaggregated data to track the actual impact of policies.
  • Establishing a gender budget tracking portal could enhance public accountability and provide real-time insights into fund utilisation.
• Investing in Digital Literacy
  • Given the government's reliance on digitisation, investment in digital literacy programs is crucial to enable women, particularly in rural and marginalized communities, to access welfare benefits independently. 

Conclusion

• While the increased allocation in the Union Budget 2025-26 signals a step in the right direction, real progress depends on effective implementation.
• Addressing structural barriers such as digital exclusion, bureaucratic inefficiencies, and outdated data is crucial.
• More importantly, policies must move beyond token allocations to ensure that marginalized women, particularly those from SC/ST communities, receive tangible benefits.
• By adopting an intersectional approach, strengthening local governance, and improving accountability mechanisms, the gender budget can become a transformative tool for women's empowerment rather than a symbolic gesture.