For promoting women-led development, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday said the budget carries an allocation of more than Rs 3 lakh crore for schemes benefitting women and girls. Presenting the Union Budget for 2024-25 in the Lok Sabha, Sitharaman said this signals the government's commitment in enhancing women's role in economic development. "For promoting women-led development, the budget carries an allocation of more than Rs 3 lakh crore for schemes benefitting women and girls," she said.

 

The government will facilitate higher participation of women in the workforce, Sitharaman said, through setting up of working women hostels in collaboration with industry, and establishing creches. "In addition, the partnership will seek to organise women-specific skilling programmes, and promotion of market access for women SHG enterprises," she added.

 

"We will encourage states which continue to charge high stamp duty to moderate the rates for all, and also consider further lowering duties for properties purchased by women. This reform will be made an essential component of urban development schemes," Sitharaman said.

 

These initiatives are aimed at enhancing work-home balance for women, thus encouraging their greater participation in the workforce. Additionally, the budget outlines the launch of women-specific skilling programmes designed to boost female workforce participation, which has increased to 24 per cent in Q2FY24. The budget showed that the recent payroll data shows a notable rise in female workforce participation.

 

Sitharaman recalled the focus on 'Mahilayen' (Women) in the Interim Budget, which was part of the four major castes, namely 'Garib' (Poor), 'Mahilayen' (Women), 'Yuva' (Youth) and 'Annadata' (Farmer), again in the Union Budget 2024-25 and stated, "We are determined to ensure that all Indians, regardless of religion, caste, gender and age, make substantial progress in realising their life goals and aspirations".

 

Source: The Indian Express