Bridging the Policy Gap: Gender Budgeting as a Tool for Empowering Women in Agriculture
Amna Mirza
Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, SPM College, University of Delhi, India.
Priti Rana
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Delhi, India.
Chayanika Uniyal
Associate Professor, Department of History, SPM College, University of Delhi, India.
Gender inequalities remain deeply embedded in Indian agriculture, where women constitute a significant proportion of the workforce but continue to face systemic disadvantages in access to land, credit, technology, extension services, and decision-making power. The post-1990s liberalisation phase intensified womenâÂÂs participation in agriculture due to male out-migration, yet this shift was not matched by corresponding socio-economic empowerment. Gender budgeting, introduced in India in 2005âÂÂ06, sought to address such structural disparities by integrating a gender perspective into fiscal planning and public expenditure. This study examines the interface between gender budgeting and womenâÂÂs expanding role in agriculture by analysing policy frameworks, Gender Budget Statements, and agricultural budgetary trends from 2005 to 2025. The analysis reveals a gradual increase in allocations and institutional coverage under gender budgeting, along with greater recognition of women farmers through flagship schemes and livelihood programmes. However, persistent gaps between policy commitments and actual outcomes are evident, largely due to entrenched patriarchal norms, weak implementation mechanisms, inadequate gender-disaggregated data, and limited accountability.
Keywords: Gender budgeting, women in agriculture, fiscal policy, gender inequality, agricultural development, women’s empowerment.
