Date:13/09/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/09/13/stories/2007091354370900.htm

National

Ministry developing gender budgeting manuals

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Women and Child Development is developing gender budgeting manuals to ensure committed funds for women related schemes, Minister of State (independent charge) Renuka Chowdhary told members of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee on Wednesday.

The manuals would help in institutionalising the concept of gender budgeting at all levels of governance. Gender budgeting cells had been set up in 53 Ministries and Departments. Other Ministries were being persuaded to set up similar cells. The Ministry was making an assessment of the impact of gender budgeting by these Ministries. It would approach the Finance Ministry to include the performance of the schemes separately in performance budget.

Detailing the Ministry’s initiatives for empowerment of women, the Minister said that sex disaggregated database and Gender Development Index were also being developed. Beside, an intensive training and capacity building programme was being implemented.

She said the Ministry was reviewing implementation of all legislations with the gender perspective to eliminate all forms of discrimination and violence against women. Providing women access to resources was important to check disparities in important parameters such as health, nutrition and literacy.

“There are number of gender specific barriers, which prevent women from gaining access to their rightful share in the flow of public goods and services. Unless these gender requirements and their felt needs are incorporated in the planning and development process, it is apprehended that the fruits of economic growth are likely to completely bypass a significant section of the country’s population,” she said.