Urban Local Self Government Bodies have become aware of gender budgeting in last five years as ‘gender friendly’ cities has become a strategic objective of the urban planners, policy makers and practitioners. Citizens’ fora, community based organizers and NGOs are publicly debating the issues concerning revenue generation and public expenditure of the urban bodies with gender lens. Right to information has proved to be an important tool in the hands of civil society for transparency in public expenditure.

1. Dr. Vibhuti Patel, Professor and Head,
University Department of Economics
SNDT Women’s University
Churchgate, Mumbai-400020
Phone-91-022-26770227 Mobile-9321040048
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Women Related Issues in Gender Budgeting for
Urban Local Self Government Bodies

2.  The 73rd
and 74th amendments in the Indian
constitution in 1994. PRI Legislation
 1 million WERs in Panchayati Raj Institutions
 The 9th
5 Years Plan(1997-2002)-WCP to ensure that
not less than 30% of development sectors funds and
benefits flow to women.
 Goals-Good Governance, transparency, efficiency,
social audit and accountability
 GR to 34 ministries to submit gender audit of
allocation and actual expenditure on women.
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3.  The Accounts Superintendent tables
statement for income and expenditure in
December. Also gives estimates of income
and expenditure for the financial year end.
 Response from Municipal commissioner,
president of Municipality, and standing
committee.
 Portion for committed fund can’t be changed
by councilors at the time of final approval
 Revision of property tax once in 4 years.
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4.  State & Central government’s Allocation
State and Centrally sponsored schemes
 Revenues obtained thro’ local taxes-water,
electricity, road, etc.
 Funds obtained from the Finance Commissions
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5.  How to enable women to direct economy through
designing and constructing fiscal policy?
 How to link economic governance to political
governance ?
 How to enable EWRs to participate in the budget-
making efforts ?
 Method-Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) and
Focus Group discussion (FGD)
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6.  Trends of allocation to social sector in
the pre (before 1991) and post(after
1991) SAP phase
 Income and expenditure of
municipalities in Orissa-Profile of PDS
and public health
 Preparation of checklist according to
priorities set by the PRIs
 IDEAL BUDGET
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7.  Discussion on Needs of GP identified by
EWRs with GOs and NGOs, SHGs
1. Socio-economic Profile of the
Municipal Corporation/council/ward
2. Scrutiny of needs-perceived problems
3. Methods to fulfill needs( Labour, land,
services)+financial aspects
4. Suitable budgetary allocations-
revenues from local sources
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8.  Verify/cross check collected data and
results of the surveys/interactive
workshops-Vision document
 Sub-committees to work out details of
different budget heads
 Presentation of reports thro’ ERWs to
TP, ZP and municipal authorities
 Lobbying for reprioritization of
allocation to reflect the EWRs.
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9. 9
Urban Areas
Non-payments of Electricity Bill , property tax
Violation of corporation rules
Garbage disposal, occupational Health
Housing
Hospital
Educational institutions
Public toilets, drainage
Transport facilities

10.  Self Help Groups
 Administrators
 Political parties
 Corporators /councilors
 NGOs
 Women in the communities
To seek allocation under appropriate budget
heads to identify streams of revenue
Available revenue and the required
expenditure
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11. Increase in tax revenues
 for road use by vehicle owners
 alcohol consumption
 Tobacco consumption
Introduce Green Taxes
Surcharge, earmarked charge for specific purpose-
Education Cess-2 %, income tax for disaster
management, in Maharashtra transport cess at the
time of Bangladesh was in 1971, later on diverted
to EGS kitty
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12.  How to bridge the gap between notional
allocation and actual allocation?
 Accounting, auditing and record keeping of
gender disaggregated data & allocation
 How to achieve physical and performance/
achievement targets
 Implementation of maternity benefits, TCP,SCP
 Major departments claiming indivisibilities of
allocation of resources
 Safety of women and children
 Notional allocation projected as real allocation
 Absence of uniform guidelines & procedures
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13.  Special programmes targeting women
 Differential impact of expenditures across all sector
and services-gender disaggregated impact on
literacy, school drop outs, mortality, morbidity,
starvation deaths, nutrition, illnesses
 Review of equal opportunities, policies and
opportunities in the public sector-jobs, school
education, wages, health care, skills, technical
training, computer education,
 one stop crisis centre for survivors of violence
 Gender sensitisation of ‘law and order’ machinery
and governance structures: police, judges,
administrators, corporators, political workers
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14.  Targeted 100% to women (DWCD)
 Pro women schemes(30 % reserved for women-All anti-
poverty programmes)
 Gender Neutral Schemes meant for community as a
whole(Employment generation programmes)
 Residual schemes
34 central ministries to ensure fund flow to women specific
and women related schemes
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15.  Shelter homes, short stay homes
 Rehabilitation schemes for women
survivors of violence
 Pensions for widows and destitute
women
Directly benefiting women,
Crisis management of situations arising
out of
economic and socio-cultural
subordination and dehumanisation of
women
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16.  Education
 Health
 Crèche
 Working women’s hostels
 Housing
 Nutrition
 Water supply
 Sanitation-toilets, drainage
 Fuel
 Fodder
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17.  SHGs-credit, loans to self employed women
 Training programmes
 Physical infrastructure-transport, energy
 Marketing
 Safety of women in informal sector-steps
against harassment
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18.  State Commission for Women
 Women’s cell at the police stations
 Awareness generation programmes
 Public education on legal safeguards
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19.  State governments must devolve substantive powers,
funds, functions, functionaries upon PRIs.
 Activities, tasks & responsibilities of GP,TP and ZP-
Direct funding from the union Govt. to ZP
 Simplifications of programme guidelines by central
ministries and departments
 Centrally sponsored Schemes must be recast to
empower PRIs.
 PRIs must get untied funds to formulate plans
according to their needs and priorities.
 CMP promise-at least 100 days of employment at
minimum wages
 Measures to make our urban areas safe for women
and girls-One stop crisis centre for women survivors
of violence
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20. Thank
you
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