Budget 2025: Rs 4.49 lakh crore for women, but will it make a difference?

The genderfocused allocations in the Union Budget 202526 have increased significantly to 886 per cent from last yearrsquos 68 per cent Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has highlighted women as one of the four focus groups for development dedicating Rs 449 lakh crore to their welfare schemes While the numbers present an optimistic picture how do women from different walks of life perceive this allocationWhile there is a sense of optimism there is also a call for caution and transparency Women across different sectors ndash from corporate professionals to homemakers ndash are looking for not just numbers on paper but seek tangible grassrootslevel changeCorporate professionals Optimism with questionsFor 25yearold Mumbaibased data analyst Ritika Saxena the increase in the budget allocation is a positive step forward ldquoItrsquos encouraging to see more ministries contributing to the Gender BudgetBut the real challenge is ensuring these funds are used efficiently Policies should translate into tangible impact and not just remain as budget figuresrdquo she says adding that while selfhelp groups and skillbuilding programmes are important there is a pressing need for policies that promote equal pay and tax benefits for corporate women as that would provide a real financial boostTwentysixyearold Mumbai lawyer Ananya Sharma also has similar concerns ldquoWomen in workplaces still face pay gaps career stagnation and childcare challenges While the Budget has rightly focused on selfhelp groups and rural development therersquos little for urban working women Tax incentives for womenled startups or better maternity leave provisions would have been more helpfulrdquoScepticism prevails on implementationSocial sector workers are also optimistic about the rise in funds but share a similar cautionShweta Railapurkar 28 a nongovernmental organisation NGO coordinator working on womenrsquos health in rural Maharashtra shares a similar sentimentWhile she welcomes the increase in funding for schemes such as lsquoMission Saksham Anganwadirsquo and lsquoPoshan 20rsquo which focus on maternal health and nutrition she is wary of the execution ldquoFunds are allocated but unless there is strict monitoring and implementation their impact on the ground remains limitedrdquo she saysFor homemakers such as 43yearold Mani Asthana from Mumbai the financial inclusion aspect of the budget is encouraging but she remains sceptical about its realworld application ldquoOn paper the numbers look good but how much of this will actually reach us For example schemes such as lsquoPM Awas Yojanarsquo claim 100 per cent allocation for women but many of us still donrsquot own homes in our namesrdquo she points out Her concern is further echoed by government data which shows that only 23 per cent of homes under the Pradhan Mantri Awas YojanaGrameen PMAYG are actually allotted to women despite the claim of 100 per cent allocationWomen entrepreneurs expect moreThe selfemployed sector has seen substantial government push especially through selfhelp groups SHGs and National Rural Livelihoods Mission NRLM which has moved from Part B to Part A of the Gender Budget this yearPoonam Sharma a small business owner running a tailoring shop has been a beneficiary of these schemes ldquoThe shift of NRLM to 100 per cent womenspecific allocation is a good sign I was able to get an SHG selfhelp group loan last year and it changed my business But many women in smaller towns still donrsquot know these schemes existrdquo she saysMoving beyond numbersSome believe that the Gender Budget Statement remains an accounting exercise rather than a strategic framework to uplift women They say that there is still ambiguity in the way funds are allocated with some schemes such as the lsquoPM Matru Vandana Yojana PMMVYrsquo disappearing from the reports altogetherWhile the Union Budget 202526 makes bold claims of prioritising lsquoNari Shaktirsquo its real impact will only be seen through effective implementation Women from diverse backgrounds agree that while the increased allocation is a positive step the government must ensure that the benefits reach those who need them mostSectorspecific viewsDr Neelam Shah who focuses on maternal and child health believes that more targeted efforts are needed to ensure that the benefits of schemes such as lsquoMission Saksham Anganwadirsquo and lsquoPoshan 20rsquo reach rural women ldquoWithout clear allocation guidelines and strict monitoring the funds may not reach those in the remotest areasrdquo she explainsSpeaking about the education sector Priya Bedekar a teacher is hopeful that the 3367 per cent allocation for school education will bridge learning gaps and improve girlsrsquo education ldquoProper execution of funds can help bring about significant changes in girls access to quality educationrdquo she sayslsquoAccountability is the keyrsquoDespite the rise in allocations concerns remain over the implementation and transparency of these funds Social activist Deepa Pawar points out ldquoThe government has the intent but reports suggest that schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Awaas YojanaGrameen PMAYG show gaps between promises and execution If only 23 per cent of homes are being allotted to women when 100 per cent of funds are allocated to them there is a major discrepancyrdquoThe road aheadA notable addition in this yearrsquos budget is Part C which covers schemes that allocate less than 30 per cent for women This suggests an effort to involve all ministries in gender budgetingAs India works toward creating more genderinclusive policies the increase in the Gender Budget is undeniably a step in the right direction But for this increase to translate into real change the government will need to focus not just on the numbers but on efficient implementation and transparency Only then will the benefits of these schemes truly uplift women in everyday life