Gender budget yet to yield fruits

Initiative launched in 2007-08 to address skewed sex ratio

The gender-based budget resorted to by the State government from 2007-08 fiscal does not seem to have helped much in improving the skewed sex ratio in Karnataka.

Gender budgeting is a statement disclosing allocations made with a gender perspective. The initiative was taken up with an aim to promote gender equality, particularly to improve the sex ratio. 

The State Finance department has set up a gender budget cell to identify the quantum of resource allocation and expenditure on women and monitor translation of policy commitments into action.

Significant increase

As per the 2011-12 Economic Survey report of Karnataka, allocation of funds for various programmes and schemes meant for the welfare and development of women over the last five years (during 11th Five Year Plan period) has witnessed a significant increase – Rs 16,832 crore in 2007-08 to Rs 30,561 crore in 2011-12 in the State. In 2012-13 fiscal (the first year of 12th Five Year Plan), the total outlay for gender budget is Rs 38,845 crore. 

The number of schemes, wherein 100 per cent allocation is meant for women, has also increased - from 43 schemes with about Rs 550 crore allocation in 2007-08 to 45 schemes with about 874 crore allocation in 2011-12. Besides, there are as many as 759 schemes with an allocation of Rs 29,682 crore wherein at least 30 per cent of funds are meant for women. 

Prominent among the schemes wherein 100 per cent allocation is meant for women are Bhagyalakshmi, Udyogini, women training programme, Devadasi rehabilitation programme, Santhwana and Sabala. 

Bhagyalakshmi has been a flagship scheme of the government, which is mainly aimed at improving the sex ratio. The scheme provides incentive in the form of insurance bond in the name of a girl child of BPL families. The scheme also aims at eradicating social evils like child labour, female foeticide, child marriage and child trafficking. The government has spent a whopping Rs 1,524.08 crore during 11th Five Year Plan period, benefiting over 10 lakh children, under the scheme. 

But all these, it seems, have been of little use to bring about gender equality, especially in setting right the skewed sex ratio in the State. While the sex ratio in the 0-6 age group has decreased from 946 in 2001 to 943 in 2011, the overall sex ratio has increased only marginally from 965 in 2011 to 968 in 2011. 

“Though the State has taken many initiatives for empowerment and uplift of women and protection of children through the Five Year Plans, the results are muted,” the Economic Survey report stated.

A closer look at the implementation reveals that the government has not been able to achieve 100 per cent target with respect to a majority of these schemes. Except for Bhagyalakshmi, implementation of women-specific schemes is an average 60 per cent.

Prof R S Deshpande,  Director of Institute of Social and Economic Change, said the government should aggressively implement the schemes. Implementation has been a problem because the process is institutionalised. Steps should be taken to make the schemes easily accessible, he said. The Economic Survey report suggested that the focus during 12th Five Year Plan should be on efficient implementation of programmes aimed at economic growth of women, while also deepening the reach and impact of social development programmes.