Budget 2024: More Than Rs 3L Crore For Women & Girls-Centric Schemes

New Delhi: Turning the focus towards initiatives to promote the participation of women in the workforce, the Budget 2024-25 sets out an outlay of Rs 3 lakh crore for women and girl-centric schemes.

This marks a 218.8% rise in allotment for women welfare schemes from FY14 to FY25.

At the very beginning of her Budget speech, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday said the government was focused on women, as one of the four major pillars in its policy plans. “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 while presenting the Budget for the current fiscal in Parliament.

Proposal to set up hostels for working women
The government would set up working women hostels and creches. It would also set up women-specific skilling programmes to boost the participation of women in the workforce.

“We will facilitate higher participation of women in workforce by setting up of working women hostels in collaboration with industries and establishment of creches in addition the partnership will seek to organise women specific skilling programmes and promotion of market access for women SHG enterprises,” the Finance Minister said.

These announcements come at a time when India is adding more women to its workforce. According to the gender-wise analysis of payroll data for May this year, there has been 12.1% increase in new female workers as compared to the corresponding period last year. Even the net female member addition for May 2024 has increased by 17.2% compared to May 2023.

Lowering duties for properties purchased by women

The government will also look at further lowering duties for properties purchased by women and making it an essential component of urban development schemes. “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, encourages states with high stamp duty to moderate rates for all, lower duties further for properties purchased by women,” Sitharaman said.