Parliament: The gender budget has been increased in terms of percentage of the national budget as Tk 112,019 crore was kept aside for women development in the proposed budget for 2017-18 fiscal year.

The allocation of Tk 112,019 crore is 5.04 percent of GDP and 27.99 percent of the 400,266-crore national budget placed by Finance Minister AMA Muhith on Thursday in Parliament.

In the outgoing fiscal year of 2016-17, the allocation for women development was Tk 92,765 crore, which was 4.73 percent of GDP and 27.25 percent of the national budget.

The Awami League government first introduced the gender budget in 2009-10 fiscal year keeping an allocation of Tk 27,248 crore for women development.

In 2017-18 fiscal year, the gender reports of 43 ministries instead of 40 ones will be presented reflecting their involvement for women development.

The 43 ministries have been divided into three sections - empowering women and enhancing their social dignity, improving women's productivity and participation in labour market, and widening women's effective access to general public sector services and income generating activities.

The gender vision of the 7th Five Year Plan is that of establishing "a country where men and women will have equal opportunities and rights of women will be recognised as equal contributors in economic, social and political development."

According to the Global Gender Gap Report 2016, Bangladesh leads South Asia in reducing gender gap.

Bangladesh ranked 72nd among 144 countries in the report published by the World Economic Forum.

Among other South Asian countries, India ranked 87th, while Sri Lanka 100th, Nepal 110th, Maldives 115th, Bhutan 121st and Pakistan 143rd.