Context:
Policy discussions urge Budget 2026–27 to prioritize women’s time poverty, enhance workforce participation, and improve the effectiveness of gender budgeting.
Key Highlights:
- Economic Participation Gap
- Women contribute only ~18% to GDP, despite 40% labour force presence.
- Time Use Survey 2025: Women spend 366 minutes/day on unpaid domestic work.
- Budgetary Concerns
- Over 75% gender allocations embedded in general schemes.
- Only 0.9% MSME allocation for women.
- Most Mudra loans to women under ₹50,000.
- India AI Mission: ₹660 crore gender allocation (33% of total).
- Policy Recommendations
- Converge PMAY + Jal Jeevan + SBM + Ujjwala for “gender-complete houses.”
- Create Care Infrastructure Convergence Window (childcare focus).
- Ensure 50% jobs for women under Employment-Linked Incentive schemes.
- Strengthen MGNREGA funding (women >50% beneficiaries).
- Expand access to larger Mudra loans and digital enablement.
Relevant Prelims Points:
- Gender Budgeting introduced in India in 2005-06.
- Time Poverty – Lack of discretionary time due to unpaid responsibilities.
- MGNREGA mandates one-third women participation (often exceeds 50%).
- Mudra Yojana provides loans under Shishu, Kishor, Tarun categories.
- PMAY, Jal Jeevan Mission, SBM, Ujjwala – Welfare schemes targeting living conditions.
Relevant Mains Points:
- Economic Growth & Gender Dividend:
- Increasing female labour force participation (FLFP) boosts GDP.
- Reducing unpaid care burden enhances productivity.
- Governance Reform:
- Need outcome-based gender budgeting, not token allocations.
- Convergence approach improves efficiency.
- Social Justice & Equality:
- Redistribution of unpaid care aligns with SDG-5 (Gender Equality).
- Empowering women entrepreneurs supports inclusive growth.
- Future of Work & AI:
- Reskilling women for AI-driven sectors prevents digital gender divide.
- Way Forward:
- Measure unpaid work in national accounts.
- Expand childcare and community care infrastructure.
- Increase credit ceiling for women-led MSMEs.
- Institutionalize gender impact assessment in budgeting.
UPSC Relevance:
• GS 2 – Social Justice (Gender Equality, Welfare Schemes)
• GS 3 – Economy (Labour Force Participation, Inclusive Growth)
• GS 2 – Governance (Budgeting & Policy Design)