The 2025-26 gender budget introduces a pivotal initiative to empower first-time entrepreneurs, including women, by offering term loans of up to INR 2 crore over the next five years.
However, women’s workforce participation remains a critical challenge. The Female Labor Force Participation Rate (FLFPR) saw a modest rise to 41.7 percent in 2023-24, reflecting ongoing efforts to enhance economic inclusion.
Entrepreneurial support programs like the PM Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) aim to foster business opportunities, yet its funding has declined from INR 1,012.50 crore in 2024-25 to INR 862.50 crore in 2025-26. Meanwhile, rural employment under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), where women account for 57.8 percent of person-days worked, received an increased allocation of INR 40,000 crore, up from INR 37,654 crore in the previous year. However, only 33.6 percent of this funding is reflected in the gender budget, raising concerns about the comprehensive acknowledgment of women’s contributions in gender-responsive budgeting.
Additionally, while 80 percent of women are engaged in agriculture, only 13.9 percent own land. Despite this disparity, agricultural programs like the Krishonnati Yojana—allocated INR 2,550 crore for 2025-26—fall under Part B of the gender budget, lacking dedicated provisions for women farmers. These trends highlight persistent gaps in funding and policy execution, underscoring the need for more targeted gender-inclusive measures.
