Towards violence free lives for women: tracking of Union budgets (2018-21) for violence services

The report Towards Violence Free Lives for Women, published in February 2021 by Oxfam India, reviews the Union budget for services related to violence against women from 2018 to 2021.According to the report, the government of India can extend response services to up to 60 per cent of women and girls affected by violence, if the quality and accessibility of such services is ensured. For this, the annual budget allocation would need to be between 10,000 and 11,000 crore rupees. In addition to the current budget being insufficient, the report also highlights gaps in the quality of services due to restrictions in unit costs of such schemes as the Universalisation of Women Helpline, which aims to provide 24 hours referral and information services to violence-affected women.The 64-page report discusses the background of the study; the prevalence, severity and reporting of violence against women and girls in India; the country’s national, legislative and policy commitments; the resource requirements for these commitments; the allocation and utilisation of funds for tackling violence against women and girls; scheme-wise budgetary allocations; as well as recommendations for the government.