This power-point analyses the Indian government and Sri Lankan's plans and budgets from a gender and equity lens. It argues that they are not gender and diversity transformative, do not focus on strengthening services for 'care' and engaging with men and boys on masculinities. Neither are budgets responsive to gender and diversity concerns. Finally, the paradigm of development is not consistent with gender and social equity

1. Gender-Blind or Gender-Sensitive? Development
Plans and Budgets in India and Sri Lanka
Ranjani K.Murthy
Prepared for Sangat Training organised
by EKTA for participants from Sri Lanka
and Tamil Nadu, May 2015

2. Objective
Framework
Plans
Gender
analysis

3. By gender we mean…….
gender
class
ethnicity
casteage
disability
Beyond
binaries

4. Gender framework for analysing
development plans
Analysis of vulnerabilities, needs and interests
Gender-intensified
Gender-specific
Gender-transformative
Use of data
Plan to address the needs and interests
What needs and interests
do they address and leave out?
Of whom?
Who had been included
and excluded while planning?
Budgets and Indicators?
Are there budgets earmarked for the
plan?
What is the implication of broader
financial (e.g. tax) measures for
women?
Are gender specific output and
outcome indicators

5. • INDIA
Women’s agency and empowerment

6. 12th Five Year Plan India: Women’s
agency (economic)
Employment of women,33% reservation in govt, non-traditional,
equal wages, maternity benefits, imp of guidelines on sexual
harassment at work place, social security
Land and property rights, farmer’s credit cards for women,
financial inclusion, community decision making, quota in farmers
committee and market access
Drudgery reduction, gender inclusion in climate change plans

7. 12th Five Year Plan of India: Women’s
agency (social)
infrastructure
• Health, education, water, sanitation, energy, housing (single), creches
• Women teachers, transport, accommodation, safety
Legislation
and policies
• Better implementation of Act, gender-data, RFD & budget
• Habitat committees, federation building, one day sensitization per month for
workers in employment guarantee scheme & water for kitchen garden
Governance
• Involve PRIs in birth, death and marriage registration, monitoring migration,
gender budgeting at PRIs,
• Citizen report cards on services from gender lens

8. 12th Five Year Plan India: Women’s
agency (vulnerable groups)
SC/ST/minority/
single women ,
Elderly and TG
Atrocities Act
Strengthen
shelter and infra
Entitlement of
migrants
Transport
Capacity building

9. • Sri-lanka
Women as the strength of Economic
Development

10. Unstoppable Sri Lanka: 2020
Economic
Higher female unemployment; educated unemployed
Improving
female
migrants
Reduce female
unemployment
Not allowing women less than 21; with
children <5 to travel
Science and
technology
education
Women entrep-
renurship
Unequal wages
Balance motherhood and
paid work
Betterment of destitute

11. Unstoppable Sri Lanka: 2020
Social
Infant food and milk
Private sector
Disability
7.8%
higher
men
Female
section in
prison
25% whh
Female
Nutrition
FLE > MLE
Elderly
women
NCD
50-69 yrs
higher Fem
Mental health of
women

12. Questions for discussions
• Do you agree with what has been proposed by
the governments for women’s development?
• What gender-specific and transformative needs
and interests of women (of your country/state)
are left out by the plan?
• Which identities of women does the government
recognize and which it fails to recognize?
• How does it propose to work with men and boys
on gender issues affecting women and men?
• If you were involved in policy making what
additional measures would you propose?

13. Gender budgeting

14. Scope
Framework
Analysis
Ways
Forward

15. What kind of budget can be
considered gender-sensitive?
Contributes to a Caring, Equitable and
Sustainable Economy Adapted from
• Ruth Pearson, n.d UK Women’s Budget Group Management Committee member

16. What is gender-sensitive budget
analysis?
• Analysis of gendered implications of paradigm of
development
• Analysis of implications of taxation, fund flow, pension
and insurance policies etc on marg. women and men
• Analysis of whether the budget meets needs and
interests and promotes gender/social equity within all
sectors
• Analysis of whether gender/social equity objectives are
protected even if budgets are being reduced
• Analysis of whether budget is adequate to back
gender-specific and transformative legislation, policies
and plans.

17. Task
• Analyse whether the budget meets needs and
interests of women
• Analyse whether gender/social equity
objectives are protected even if budgets are
being reduced
• Analyse whether budget is adequate to back
gender-specific and transformative legislation,
policies and plans

18. Conclusion
Plans and budgets of India and Sri Lanka
 Are not gender-transformative- between gender blind
and sensitive.
 Do not address ‘care’ responsibilities of women which
hinder economic and political participation
 Exclusion of women and men who are minorities
continues in subtle ways
 Do not engage with men on dominant masculinities
 Do not challenge the development paradigm which
hampers women’s agency empowerment.