Woman and Child Development Minister Maya Singh has called for implementing gender budgeting in non-Governmental institutions also. She said that desired results cannot be achieved until we become sensitive towards women at every level of society.
She was addressing at the seminar — ‘Madhya Pradesh: Strengthening of Gender-sensitive Budgeting’ here on Friday. UN Women’s Representative for India, Bhutan and Maldives, Rebecca Reichman said that Madhya Pradesh was the role model for gender budgeting in the country.
In the State, system of gender-sensitive budget was introduced for the first time in the country.
The Women and Child Development Minister said that gender budgeting in the State began from year 2007. Madhya Pradesh is the second State where gender budget was tabled in Vidhan Sabha. She said that emphasis had been laid on effective implementation of gender responsive budget in Women’s Policy and Vision Document.
She informed that Rs7593 crore was provisioned in gender budget in year 2007-08, which rose to Rs26,233 crore in year 2013-14. This shows state government’s commitment. She said that this system’s sole objective is to bring half of state’s population to the mainstream.
Singh said that women should not be considered as mere beneficiary in gender budgeting concept. This should include that how far women are to be empowered through it economically, socially, culturally and politically so that they can play effective role in decision-making of society and government. She said that Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is very sensitive towards women and children. He wishes to end disparity of women.
His goal is to ensure women’s security and honour.
The Minister expressed pleasure and pride that the state government has implemented a strategy under which every woman’s interests are being safeguarded right since birth till old age. Referring to ladli laxmi Yojana and other schemes, she said that 50 percent reservation has been given to women in Panchayats and local bodies for leadership development among them. Describing the seminar as important, Maya Singh said that this will definitely lead to effective implementation of gender budgeting and allocation of maximum amounts for women-centric schemes of various departments.
UN Women’s Representative Reichman said that implementation of gender-responsive budget is vital for women’s empowerment.
Additional Chief Secretary Aruna Sharma said that officers associated with gender budgeting should especially address the issues that benefit women both directly and indirectly.