EQUAL HALF | a documentary film from India

Summary

The video script highlights the importance of gender-responsive budgeting (GRB) in addressing the marginalized voices of women in policy-making. It showcases initiatives like UN Women's work with 65 countries to incorporate GRB, India's efforts in creating gender budget statements, and specific projects in Sundarbans and Nagaland that empower women through technology and agricultural support. The script also discusses Kerala's innovative housing scheme for working women and counseling centers for domestic violence survivors, emphasizing the need for broader macroeconomic engendering to ensure policies meet women's needs and empower them.

Takeaways

• 🌐 Women's voices are often marginalized in global social program planning, leading to a lack of recognition for their unpaid work and contributions to society.
• 🇮🇳 In India, despite women making up half the population and contributing significantly to the economy, they still lag behind in socioeconomic indicators.
• 💼 Gender-responsive budgeting is a tool used to ensure that budgeting processes consider the needs of women to promote gender equality and empowerment.
• 🌟 UN Women has collaborated with 65 countries since 2011 to incorporate gender-responsive budgeting, with 25 adopting gender-based policies in their national development plans.
• 🏝️ The Sundarbans project in West Bengal used science and technology interventions to empower women, teaching them banana tissue culture and business skills.
• 🌱 The Women's Technology Park in Sagar Islands was established to provide rural women with technological inputs to enhance their skills and income.
• 🏡 In Nagaland, the Atma initiative promotes gender mainstreaming in agriculture, ensuring 30% of funds go to women farmers and their involvement in decision-making bodies.
• 🏢 Kerala's planning board introduced an innovative housing scheme for working women, constructing apartments close to workplaces for safe and convenient stays.
• 🏥 The Bumika counseling centers in Kerala were established to support women survivors of domestic violence, providing integrated services under one roof.
• 💼 The Women's Development Corporation of Kerala launched the Reach Academy to provide professional grooming and employability training for women and girls.

Q & A

What is the significance of women's voices in social programs planning?

Women's voices are significant because they are often marginalized and not heard by authorities when planning social programs. Their unpaid work and contributions to family and society are not recognized in macro policy, which affects the overall development of families, societies, and countries.

Why is gender-responsive budgeting important?

Gender-responsive budgeting is important because it ensures that the entire budgeting process is carried out through a gender perspective, aiming to bring gender equality and women's empowerment. It helps governments to see how their allocations of public funds will contribute to these goals.

How has UN Women been involved in gender-responsive budgeting?

UN Women has been involved by working with 65 different countries since 2011 to incorporate gender-responsive budgeting. Out of these, 25 countries have adopted gender-based policies and plannings in their National Development Plans.

What is the role of gender budget statements in India?

In India, gender budget statements were initiated to create consciousness among policymakers about the importance of gender-responsive budgeting. This led to the creation of gender budget cells in 53 Ministries and Departments to spearhead the work on gender within these institutions.

What challenges do women in Sundarbans face, and how is technology helping them?

Women in Sundarbans face geographical challenges, health issues, and lack of basic amenities, pushing them into debt and poverty. The Department of Science and Technology is implementing a scheme to provide technological support to these women, training them in banana tissue culture, which is a high-end technology, helping them upgrade their skills and enhance their income.

How does the Atma initiative in Nagaland address gender issues in agriculture?

The Atma initiative promotes gender mainstreaming in agriculture by ensuring that 30% of the funds go to women farmers. It also involves women in decision-making bodies at various levels and provides agricultural extension programs led by women.

What is the impact of Kerala's patriarchal system on women?

Despite being the only 100% literate state in India, Kerala's patriarchal system manifests in violence against women, declining land rights, and poor employment profiles. To address these issues, the government has initiated programs focusing on social and economic needs of women.

How is the Kerala planning board's housing scheme benefiting working women?

The Kerala planning board's housing scheme for working women involves constructing apartments close to their workplace, ensuring a safe and convenient stay, which helps reduce the issues related to domestic violence and public place harassment.

What is the role of Bumika counseling centers in Kerala?

Bumika counseling centers, initiated as part of the GRB efforts in Kerala, provide support to women survivors of domestic violence. They offer assistance from police, advocates, and social securities like accommodation, all under one roof.

How is the Women's Development Corporation of Kerala helping women's employability?

The Women's Development Corporation of Kerala has started a professional grooming academy to provide employability training to women and girls in various sectors, including spoken English, computer operations, and other social skills, aiming to improve their job prospects.

What is the broader goal of gender-responsive budgeting in the macroeconomic framework?

The broader goal of gender-responsive budgeting is to integrate the needs of women into budgeting, which is a crucial component of macro policy. It aims to ensure that policies are appropriate for meeting women's needs and empowering them, but it also requires a broader approach to engender the entire macroeconomic framework.