Union Budget 2026-27 From a Gender Lens: What Women and Advocates Want

As India prepares for the Union Budget 2026-27 , gender equality advocates and policy experts are urging a budget that looks through a gender lens. Rather than just focusing on numbers, this approach highlights the real challenges women face in India’s economic system—especially barriers to paid work, productivity, and inclusion that stem from unpaid care duties and mobility issues.

Gender budgeting isn’t about adding special women-only programs. It is about making sure the budget consciously addresses how public finance policies affect women’s time, opportunities, and outcomes in everyday life.

Women’s Time Poverty and Labour Force Participation

A major concern shaping gender budget expectations for 2026-27 is women’s time poverty. Despite representing a significant portion of workers in agriculture and informal sectors, many Indian women remain outside the formal labor force. Data shows that women spend far more time on unpaid domestic duties than on paid work, illustrating a persistent imbalance that affects their earning potential and career growth.

Policy experts argue that Budget 2026-27 should focus on reducing this structural constraint by investing in services and infrastructure that cut down the unpaid workload that women shoulder daily.

Why Gender Budgeting Matters Beyond Spending

Experts note that India’s gender budget has grown over the years, reflecting an increased commitment to women’s development. However, a large share of budget allocations falls under broad categories that do not directly target the most pressing barriers women face. Simply spending money is not enough if those funds don’t create measurable gains in women’s work opportunities, income, or time savings.

This year, gender budgeting advocates want the Union Budget 2026-27 to move beyond just listing expenditures that include women as beneficiaries. They want spending that actually changes women’s everyday realities by creating outcomes that can be tracked over time.

Infrastructure That Reduces Unpaid Workload

One set of expectations for the Budget revolves around infrastructure investments that cut down the unpaid labour burden on women. Basic services like piped drinking water, sanitation, electricity, clean cooking fuel, and rooftop solar energy can save significant time for women, who are often responsible for securing these necessities for their families.

Aligning major missions such as Jal Jeevan Mission, Swachh Bharat, and Ujjwala in ways that reduce the daily time women spend on caregiving is seen as a critical step toward improving women’s participation in paid work.

Strengthening Childcare and Nutrition Support

Another priority for gender-responsive Budget 2026-27 is expanding childcare and nutrition infrastructure. Many women find it difficult to balance employment with caregiving responsibilities because of inadequate support systems like crèches and functional Anganwadi centres.

By promoting better childcare facilities and integrated nutrition support, the government can help women spend more time on skill building, job opportunities, or entrepreneurship without sacrificing the wellbeing of their families.

Job Creation and Care-Centric Policies

Advocates also want employment policies in the Union Budget 2026-27 that prioritize women’s job prospects. This includes setting targets that link job creation to women’s participation and offering incentives for enterprises that hire women, alongside social security and childcare support.

Reforming existing rural work programmes like MGNREGA to enhance women’s workdays and integrate childcare options is another proposal that could directly address both income and care constraints for women in rural areas.

Boosting Women Entrepreneurs and MSME Support

Women are a significant part of India’s micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), yet most women-owned businesses remain informal and underfunded. With only a small share of formal credit flowing to women entrepreneurs, gender budgeting advocates are calling for simplified credit access, market linkages, and support to scale women-led businesses in Budget 2026-27.

By strengthening the ecosystem for women’s entrepreneurship, the budget can help women move from subsistence work to growth-oriented ventures.

Skilling Women for the Digital and AI Economy

As India pushes deeper into digital and AI-driven sectors, gender budget expectations include preparing women to participate in these high-growth areas. Budget proposals suggest not just increasing enrolment in skilling programmes, but ensuring training leads to meaningful employment outcomes for women in tech, AI, and emerging industries.

Investments in outcome-based skilling measures tied to job placements or measurable career advancement could help bridge the gender gap in high-value sectors.

Improving Governance and Accountability for Gender Outcomes

Finally, gender budgeting advocates want stronger monitoring and accountability frameworks. Current budgeting processes often track how much money is spent but not whether it translates into real changes in women’s lives. Disaggregated data and outcome tracking systems are seen as essential tools for ensuring that Budget 2026-27 leads to meaningful progress on gender equality goals.

This push for gender-responsive budgeting highlights that equitable economic growth requires policies that recognise women’s contributions and tackle the barriers limiting their full participation in India’s economy.