Nupi Marup pitches for gender budgeting
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 25 2014 : A public discussion programme held today at Irabot Bhavan under the aegis of the All Manipur Nupi Marup called upon the State Government to introduce gender budgeting in the State.

The gathering decried that the issue of gender budgeting never figured in the agenda of the ongoing Assembly session.

The meeting recommended the State Government to introduce gender budgeting and ensure that all Government departments implement it as soon as possible.

Raising allowances of social welfare schemes and widow pension scheme, re-activation of Manipur Human Rights Commission, streng-thening of the Manipur State Commission for Women, introduction of gender neutral employment policy, implementation of urban vendor policy, monetary assistance to victims of crimes against women and women living with HIV/AIDS and compliance with Verma Committee recommendations were the recommendations adopted at the meeting.

gender budget

Speaking at the gathering, All Manipur Nupi Marup acting president M Sakhi underscored the importance of gender budgeting.

In order to enable women take decisions on different matters relating to politics, economy, culture etc, gender budgeting is essential.

There are numerous reports of violence against wo- men and children but police could not investigate all these cases conclusively and as such, they could not file charge sheets in many cases.

One major factor for this failure is absence of gender budgeting, Sakhi said.

The Government of India introduced gender budgeting in 2009 and Rs 94,379 crore was earmarked for women related schemes and issues.

The figure rose to Rs 97,134 crore in 2013-14 and Rs 97,533 crore in 2014-15 .

Among the Northeastern States, gender budgeting has been introduced in Nagaland, Tripura and Assam.

All the civil society organisations need to join hands and struggled together until the Government of Manipur introduces and implements gender budgeting in a wholesome manner, Sakhi exhorted.

Chinglen Maisnam of Economics Department, Ma-nipur University defined gen- der budgeting as reservation of 30 per cent of funds allocated to different departments for women related schemes and issues.

He highlighted the need for all organisations to strive together and ensure that gender budgeting is introduced in the State.

CPI Manipur State Council former secretary Langol Iboyaima remarked that the Govt of India and different States have introduced gender budgeting for meaningful empowerment of women.

However, the Government of Manipur has shown little interest on gender budgeting till date, he decried.