Gender Responsive Budgeting In Education: A Case Of Punjab Budget (2013-14)

Abstract

The aim of present research study is to analyze the differences in budget allocations of education sector “through gender lens”. In order to find out whether the resource allocations in Punjab budget FY 2013-2014 are in line with the different priorities and needs of girls/women and boys/men or vice versa. The research is exploratory in nature and study is based on Gender Responsive Budgeting (GRB) and divides public expenditures into two main categories as gender specific budgetary allocations and mainstream (non-gender targeted) budgetary allocations. The study is based upon secondary sources of data. Findings show that spending on education was low in Punjab Province as it is only 18.8 percent under the head development further budgetary allocations targeted women and girls are low only 6.7 percent while budget targeting both gender allocations are 92 percent which widens the gap between both genders. Therefore, it is the high time to realize that budget is not a gender blind instrument hence needs to spend more on development side for gender parity. Gender responsive analysis of Punjab budget shows that province is needed to take steps towards improvement in literacy rates of women and girls through appropriate approach.