5 Highlights for Women in the Union Budget

From an increase in gender budget allocation to skill development, the 2025-26 Union Budget has a slew of measures benefitting women.

The Union Budget 2025-26, presented on February 1, 2025, by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced several initiatives aimed at empowering women and promoting gender equality in India.

Here are five key highlights:

  1. Significant Increase in Gender Budget Allocation: he Gender Budget has been allocated ₹4.49 lakh crore for FY 2025-26, marking a 37% increase from the previous year.
  2. Enhanced Participation of Ministries in Gender Budgeting: This year, 49 Ministries and Departments, along with 5 Union Territories, have reported allocations under the Gender Budget, reflecting a more integrated approach to addressing women’s issues across different governmental branches.
  3. Support for Women Entrepreneurs and Self-Help Groups (SHGs): The budget introduces initiatives to empower women entrepreneurs, particularly through support for SHGs, enabling them to scale operations and integrate more effectively into the economy.
  4. Tax Reforms Benefiting Women: The budget proposes raising the nil tax slab threshold to ₹12 lakh annually and recalibrating tax slabs and rates, which is expected to enhance the spending power of the middle class, including women.
  5. Focus on Skill Development and Employment for Women: The budget emphasizes organizing skill development programs tailored for women, aiming to enhance their employability and entrepreneurial capabilities.