Women are the ones that are most affected by the budget, as it determines if they will have more money in hand or if they will need to make more cuts in their expenditures. From purchasing fruits and vegetables to buying home appliances they are part of most money related decisions, and in some households, they make the decisions based on the savings. So here is what an average Indian woman expects from the budget.
Women Education
Female literacy in the country is at 70.30 per cent in comparison to male literacy at 84.70 per cent, states the data from National Statistical Office. This means that there is more work to be done in this sector. The government already has several programs like Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, and the National Rural Livelihood Mission, but with more allocation in the budget, the implementation and reach of the programme can be enhanced.
There is also a need to reduce the number of female dropouts from schools. The number had increased during the lockdown, mostly due to the digital divide and reduced income. With this budget, there is an expectation that the government will increase the investment in better digital facilities through municipal schools.
Working Women
While there are many examples of women entrepreneurs who came forward during the pandemic to support their families, there are many more who had to give up their jobs. As per government data, the female labor participation rate fell to 16.1 per cent in 2021, which means that many women had to stop working during the pandemic. If the government can offer more tax benefits for women, then more women may opt to continue working. In addition to this, the government also needs to offer more reserved seats for women in government jobs. This will help increase the number of employed women in the country.
There is very little the government has done to increase and promote businesses owned by women. This is why there is an expectation that the government will allocate funds or schemes to promote such women-centric businesses.
Women Safety
Crime against women has been on the increase, with 30 per cent more cases filed in 2021 in comparison to 2020. There has also been an increase in cybercrime cases, but with the right tools, they can be countered. The government needs to give a proper allotment to the police force to focus on tracking down digital bullying.
Menstrual Hygiene Awareness
There has been a long demand for the government to remove taxation on menstrual hygiene products, which is why the GST on sanitary napkins was removed but a press release by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) states that GST in the 12–18 percent slab continues to be levied on all its raw materials, which in turn increases the price of sanitary napkins.
Even other hygiene products, like shampoo, intimate wash, body wash, shaving cream, and more, also attract GST. This gender-based pricing, or ‘pink tax’, which leads women to pay higher amounts of money for products, particularly those marketed for them, is also something the government needs to address. A simple example is that of a razor; the razors women use are more expensive than the razors used by men. Considering that the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister have both on many occasions spoken about women, it is time for them to look into the pink tax as it is taking over women's budgets.
More saving for women
The income-tax is mostly gender-neutral, with only some exceptional benefits to women, which include reducing their tax liabilities, by suitable investments. While many men have complaints, this may not be a beneficial means as most of these investments are long-term in nature. For example, schemes like the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana have a lock in period of 21 years, while PPFs have a lock in period of 15 years. This makes it difficult for the women as the money invested cannot be used when required.
If women get more exemptions from paying taxes, then this would also give them a push towards employment and at the same time give them more money in hand for expenses.
Women health
Women's health is a very important concern as there is very little awareness regarding women's hygiene and cleanliness. So other than having a programme to help women with regular checking, the government also needs to create awareness drives in schools. The government also needs to make programmes like the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana more accessible to people. This also includes making healthcare for newborns and the mother more affordable.
