Maharashtra finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar on Tuesday announced the formation of a gender budget cell within the state finance department for effective implementation of gender budgeting to reserve funds in governmental programmes and schemes related to women and child development. The measure is also aimed at utilising funds efficiently for making actual changes in the living standards of women and children.
According to a communique issued by the finance ministry's media office, Mungantiwar instructed that a nodal officer be appointed in every government department for implementation of schemes related to women and child development and added that various departments implement these schemes. The gender budget cell will focus on efficient implementation with high-quality standards.
“Gender budget statement should not just change amount of the funds; it will be equally important to see whether it really makes a positive change in the lives of women and children and are the women really empowered. While providing social security, the vision of making them self-reliant through employment should be taken forward. As quality is linked with evaluation, the concept of a culture of evaluation should be cultivated in the state for efficient implementation of the schemes and for their quality outcomes,” the minister added.
Speaking at the meeting, Pankaja Munde, state minister for women and child development, said that innovative spending should increase in the schemes related to women and child development.
She felt that quality utilisation of the available funds is very crucial and with implementation of innovative initiatives, a positive change should take place in the lives of women and children.
“Aspects such as skill development, public participation, financial self-reliance of women, training and nutrition of the women and children are also equally important. Encouraging the students for sports, giving preference to the minority and tribal women in gender budgeting, monitoring the results of the schemes during its implementation and working on that, considering actual money spent on the salaries and actual schemes out of the funds from the departments are all important factors,” said Munde.
The president of the State Women’s Commission, Vijaya Rahatkar, made a presentation on the action plan for gender budgeting during the meeting. UNICEF representatives also made a presentation on gender budgeting and public finance management for women and children. It was informed that after a detailed study on this subject in the state, a report will be presented to the government by the end of December.
