Ramification of Gender Budgeting on Gender Equality towards Achieving SDG 5: The Assam Experience

The concept of gender equality is not a contemporary one. It is a concept that has evolved through the various experiences it has experienced throughout its long-lived history to the form that we witness today. The feminist movement, which is one of the key pioneers of the theme of gender equality, has accelerated and evolved into its fourth wave that had initially originated back in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The modern notion of the feminist movement massively focuses upon the elements of economic justice & equality, digital awareness, reproductive rights, and health, and the same is endorsed by the sustainable development goals 5. It is worth noting that the achievement of these objectives demands strong economic endorsements, and in the absence of economic assistance and aids, these objectives shall remain far beyond reach. One vital economic instrument that shall prominently fuel the operations is the concept of “gender budgeting.”. This subject matter focuses on utilizing a country's budget as a tool to address gender inequality by channelling essential economic resources into relevant initiatives. While gender budgeting covers a broad range of issues, the key areas of concern include health, education, and the gap in employment and income opportunities. With special allusion to Assam, this study shall utilize a quantitative analysis approach fueled with data sourced from secondary sources so as to analyse the trends of the gender budget with a limelight upon the elements of health, education, and employment. Subsequently, appropriate conclusions shall be drawn, and the same shall be evaluated simultaneously with trends of demographic vitals so as to deduce the implications of the trends of gender budgeting elements upon the evolving dynamics of these vitalities. At the termination, requisite conclusions are drawn outlining the ramification of gender budgeting on gender equality towards achieving SDG 5