Roadmap to the HPFD Gender Budget Statement 2027–28 Based on Field Diagnostics

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Roadmap to the HPFD Gender Budget Statement 2027–28 Based on Field Diagnostics

by Ankita Bhat, Muskan Singh and Sonal Jaitly
Jul 24, 2026
1 min

As part of the GIZ-supported Strengthening Gender Responsive Forest Ecosystems Management and Agroforestry (G-VAN) project, MSC worked with the Himachal Pradesh Forest Department (HPFD). The collaboration strengthened the department’s gender-responsive budgeting (GRB) approach. This report presents a roadmap to institutionalize GRB within the Department. It draws on field diagnostics, assessments of existing institutional mechanisms and administrative data systems, and consultations with key stakeholders. The report recommends practical measures to strengthen gender-disaggregated data, institutional processes, and reporting systems that support the preparation of HPFD’s gender budget statement.

Gender-responsive budgeting (GRB) is a key public financial management tool that helps governments integrate gender considerations into planning, budgeting, and resource allocation. India has institutionalized GRB through gender budget statements and supporting policy frameworks. However, many line departments still face challenges that limit implementation due to gaps in institutional systems, administrative data, and reporting mechanisms.

Under the GIZ-supported Strengthening Gender Responsive Forest Ecosystems Management and Agroforestry in India (G-VAN) project, MSC worked with the Himachal Pradesh Forest Department (HPFD) to strengthen its institutional readiness for GRB. The engagement included reviews of departmental schemes and budgets, field diagnostics, assessments of institutional mechanisms and administrative data systems, and consultations with key government stakeholders.

This report presents a practical roadmap to prepare HPFD’s gender budget statement and institutionalize GRB within the department. It identifies implementation gaps, recommends measures to strengthen gender-disaggregated data and institutional processes, and shows how the department can embed GRB across the budget cycle, from planning and resource allocation to implementation, monitoring, and reporting.