‘Gender-Responsive Budgeting’ workshop begins at AMU
Aligarh : A three-day state-level workshop on ‘Gender-Responsive Budgeting’ of the Advanced Centre for Women Studies, Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) today began at the University Grants Commission-Human Resource Development Centre (UGC HRDC) to provide the participants from various universities, Government offices, PSUs, Corporate Sector and UP based NGOs with a deeper understanding of gender mainstreaming and gender-responsive budgeting concepts, practices and tools to apply within the public systems.
Presiding over the inaugural function, AMU Vice Chancellor, Prof Tariq Mansoor said, “Gender responsive budgeting is essential both for gender justice and for fiscal justice as it involves analysing budgets for their effect on different genders and the norms and roles associated with them, and the relationship between genders”.
Pressing the need for the maintenance of gender justice and diversity, he added, “Gender parity is extremely important to ensure a gender perspective at all levels for meeting different needs and priorities of everyone. India has made significant strides in women empowernment”.
He also highlighted various efforts that the university has undertaken towards women empowerment and gender justice.
“The theoretical and empirical training in the workshop will provide the participants with the expertise for transforming budgets to ensure that gender equality commitments are realised”, said the programme Chief Guest, Ms Minu Rana (Additional District Magistrate, Aligarh).
She called for implementing gender budgeting at grass root levels and emphasised the need to uplift the marginalised women.
Prof Zakia A Siddiqui (Founder Director, Centre for Women’s Studies, AMU) who was also the Chief Guest pointed out: “Gender responsive budget is a budget that works for everyone – women men and, girls and boys – by ensuring gender-equitable distribution of resources and by contributing to equal opportunities for all”.
She also spoke on the significance of establishing Women Studies Centres across universities for a gender sensitive and just society.
The programme Special Guest, Ms Mrinali Joshi (Joint Magistrate, Aligarh) shared experiences of working on gender equality as an administrator and pressed for gender sensitive policies.
In the welcome address, Prof Azra Musavi (Director, Advanced Centre for Women’s Studies) gave an overview of the workshop and emphasised gender mainstreaming in the budgetary allocations.
Prof Asmer Beg (Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences) extended the vote of thanks and discussed how to implement gender just budgets.
Dr Shivangini Tandon conducted the programme.
Over 50 delegates are attending the three-day programme.