Despite her speech mentioning the word ‘women’ 13 times, only one paragraph was dedicated to women's development in the Indian Union Budget 2024. This allocation refers to the creation of hostels for women, the construction of crèches, and the development of skills for women. However, by generalising an entire gender stratum and applying the same strategy to both urban and rural populations, the budget overlooks the complexities of women's needs across different regions.Urban women who are employed in formal sectors cannot possibly have the requirements for the same amenities as a rural woman who is living below the poverty line and is engaged in informal menial labour. Additionally, the budget falls short of promising secure employment for women, offering only the ‘possibility’ of such opportunities.
While Rs. 3 lakh crore has been allocated for schemes benefiting women and girls, the lack of clarity surrounding these plans paints a jarring picture. Ms Sitaraman, in her initial statements asserted that the budget aims to focus on farmers, youth, women, and the underprivileged. Yet, the planning for one of its largest sectors – women – is notably insufficient. Without a detailed planning structure, the future of the Indian women's workforce may mirror the situation in 2017, when women constituted only 23% of India’s workforce.
Union Budget 2024 on Women:
‘We will facilitate higher participation of women in the workforce
through setting up of working women hostels in collaboration with industry,
and establishing creches. In addition, the partnership will seek to organize
women-specific skilling programmes, and promotion of market access for
women SHG enterprises.’
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