India has created a budget that is all in favor of protecting
women and fostering their rights. This budget is going to help with increasing
safety for women and a bank for women. Finance Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram has
set aside 971 rupees or $ 18 billion in for a gender budget that is supposed to
be used for programs to benefit woman. This is another way that India is
providing inclusive growth. The money will benefit women from lower castes and
of the rural poor. Without this funding it is said that these women would be of
the few that are just left behind. Pinky Anand, a Supreme Court lawyer thinks it
is important to note that the government has made this a top priority to address.
Mr. Chidambaram says measures like this
are taking due to women obtaining education and accesses to services and leisure
in the public. Others think the gesture is not enough according to women’s
activist Jayati Gosh. With this budget it is suggested that there should be a
state bank for women. Again Ms. Gosh thinks this is offensive and a type of ghettoization.
Then Ranjana Kumar who is the director
of the Center for Social Research in Delhi thinks the idea is of good
development because women can have the opportunity to be engaged in the financial
sector. Also the budget has about 2 billion rupees for programs to combat
sexual discrimination such as in the workplace. India’s Parliament on Feb 26
passed a bill that is supposed to prevent and punish sexual harassment of women
while they are at work; this is a first of its kind. The finance minister has
failed to meet with women’s groups such as the All India Democratic Women’s
Association to address issues in the budget that were lacking and issues such
as the rise of violence against women, greater safety for women in public transportation,
improved sanitation, rehabilitation of victims of violence, and more resources
for creation of jobs for women.
This article is significant in the fact that it shows in
many ways how India government is taking a stance on helping women gain
protection in public places and to get jobs and be safe while at work. There are critics who think the budget is not
enough. Then again the budget and the plans that are set are a start. Of course
there needs to be more action for the government to provide these women with
rights that they need. India is showing and proving that they are on women’s
sides with this new budget. It is important though that the government does not
push women all into a corner by their selves just to provide them protection so
they want be discriminated but that can be looked at as a type of
discrimination.
Chanel Martin
3/2/13
5:00pm
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