Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman spoke about the scrutiny she faced over her Budget Day speech, calling it a reflection of the deep-rooted and often unspoken gender bias women continue to face in public life.
Referring to the recurring focus on the saree she wears while presenting the Union Budget, Sitharaman said such discussions are usually not rooted in enmity but stem from assumptions that casually surface in day-to-day interactions.
Hidden prejudices surface in casual remarks
“Not that we consciously value it or cultivate it, but it exists within us and often comes up in conversation. Comments like, ‘What clothes is she wearing?’ or “What is he doing?” they reflect how women are perceived rather than being seen as individuals with ideas and capabilities,” the finance minister said.
She added that she often chooses to confront such remarks directly when they appear.
We would never judge a person like that
“I can say to them, ‘That’s not the way to do it’. As women, we would never look at a man and say, ‘He shouldn’t do it that way’. We just wouldn’t do it. I don’t think comments like that are usually made with malicious intent, but sometimes they surface hidden prejudices. I’ll share my own experience. Every year it becomes a topic, around me they ask, what are you wearing?” he said.
Budget speech and key announcements
The comments came amid increased attention on Sitharaman’s Union Budget speech, which lasted 124 minutes and outlined the government’s economic plan for the coming financial year.
Presenting her ninth budget in a row, the finance minister announced a sharp increase in capital expenditure and pegged it at ₹12.2 lakh crore for 2026-27. It also projected a fiscal deficit of 4.3 percent of gross domestic product.
On taxation, the budget did not offer direct relief to individual taxpayers. Expectations of changes in tax credits or standard deduction were not met. Instead, Sitharaman announced that taxpayers will switch to the new Income Tax Act from April 1.