Union Budget 2026-27: Health spending up, women's welfare allocations down
The new Union Budget bumps up health spending by 10%, with ₹1,06,530 crore going to the Health Ministry.
But while the Gender Budget is now at ₹5 lakh crore, funding for family welfare actually dropped a bit and some schemes saw cuts in the 2025-26 revised estimates — allocations for schemes exclusively for women were reduced by nearly ₹30,158 crore, and the National Handicrafts Development Programme was cut from ₹260 crore to ₹205 crore.
Maternal health programs haven't changed, even though issues like anemia and high maternal mortality are still major concerns.
Activists worry about the impact of these cuts
Women's groups say these stagnant welfare schemes could slow down progress for women in India.
ASHA workers' pay remains low at ₹4,500-6,000 per month, and less than 1% of the gender budget goes to safety measures.
Activists worry that without stronger support, real change for women's health and economic mobility will be tough to achieve.