Date:19/02/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/02/19/stories/2003021904681100.htm

National

Gender focus sought in budget

By Our Special Correspondent

The Deputy Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha, Najma Heptullah, Shabna Azmi, and the U.N. Resident Coordinator, Brenda McSweeney, submitting a memorandum to the Finance Minister, Jaswant Singh, to incorporate a gender-perspective in this year's Union Budget, at the Parliament House complex in New Delhi on Tuesday. — Photo: V. Sudershan

New Delhi Feb. 18. A delegation of women members of Parliament and representatives from various U.N. agencies led by the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson, Najma Heptullah, today met the Union Finance Minister, Jaswant Singh, and urged him to have a "sharper gender focus" in the Union budget.

"As citizens with equal rights and economic agents who contribute equally to the national economy, women would like to stake a claim to their entitlements under all categories of public spending, not just under so-called women's programmes. Women aspire to have a level playing field and equal opportunities for enhancing their capabilities, both as economic agents as well as to lead a dignified life. To take this forward, a gender analysis of the Budget should be continued by a research institute of eminence in which the Government also has confidence, so that we can learn lessons from it for the next Budget. Gender disaggregated data from all Government departments and strengthening gender sensitive monitoring and evaluation methodology in Budgets would contribute towards making this analysis meaningful," the memorandum said.

The appeal focussed on enhancing women's livelihood, support to childcare services, education, provision of amenities and the Swarna Jayanti Grameen Swarozgar Yojna.

Among those who formed the delegation were members of Parliament Shabna Azmi, Prema Kariappa, Sabita Sharada, the U.N. Representative in India, Brenda McSweeny, Chandni Joshi of UNIFEM and Niru Mishra of UNDP.