Finance Minister Arun Jaitley must see the Budget as a means towards womens’ empowerment. That’s what former Delhi Secretary, Shailaja Chandra feels. She says that the Budget could systematically cater to women from all sections of society. Ms Chandra suggests that career oriented women, have good education but lack financial knowledge and expertise. The government could help them to grow as entrepreneurs with budgetary support, softer loans, tax deductions and allowances.
Women who are educated but are not working, for them the Government can systematically make provisions to support and incentivise home-based enterprises, even facilitating on-line services managed from home.
Programmes targeting the poorest sections of society, should have specific provisions for women, and money allocated accordingly among the concerned departments, such as the Women and Child Ministry, Health Ministry or HRD.
Both Central and State Government run welfare schemes for women but there is too much paper work, red tape, and corruption that prevents benefits from actually reaching women. Ms Chandra feels that ‘delivery’ of budgetary benefits to women should be a goal in itself.
Ownership of property is the key to everything, if women have the Right to Property, immediately their status will increase. For this to happen Ms Chandra suggests that Capital Gain Tax should be lowered if the property is owned by women.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)