Reimagining Gender Budgeting Framework in India: Linking Fiscal Outlays and Gendered Outcomes

This paper relooks at the present Gender Budgeting framework in India. After two decades of implementing Gender Budgeting in India, this paper argues for relooking at the existing framework. With the help of an analytical framework the paper suggests that there is a need for Input-Output-Outcome framework that links fiscal outlays to gender gaps. It suggests that with the current framework strongly establishing institutional foundation through a well-defined Gender Budget Statement, Gender Budget Cells, and sustained political recognition of gender inequality as a fiscal and developmental concern, there is a need to make the whole gender budgeting process a dynamic one with feedback loop from gender gaps. The paper also provides empirical support with the help of a survey on Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana- Grameen (PMAY-G) beneficiaries and argues that the outcomes of the schemes that are included in the gender budgeting is at best an output from the gender inequality perspective. Further the paper argues that allocations under gender budget statement is at best a necessary but not a sufficient intervention to address gender gaps. There is a need for complimentary policy interventions to improve gender outcomes. Some of the complimentary policies that are suggested in this study, based on a primary survey, are providing skills, improving financial access as well as policies that improve mobility. At the end the paper suggests three pathways through which the whole gender budgeting framework could be made effective.