India establishes gender budget cell in External Affairs Ministry

The Indian government has established a "gender budget cell" within the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to assess gender-related contributions of its projects. This development follows a parliamentary committee's recommendation for a comprehensive monitoring framework for ongoing and future projects. The committee noted that the MEA has begun data collection on gender aspects, but the analysis is still pending. It urged the Ministry to expedite this process and develop a concrete action plan for integrating gender budgeting into its projects. Additionally, the committee praised the MEA for increasing women's representation in the Indian Foreign Service and implementing supportive initiatives. However, it emphasized the need for further efforts to enhance gender equality in senior roles and improve budget forecasting processes.