Last Updated:February 02, 2026, 10:08 IST
Nirmala Sitharaman wore a handwoven Kancheevaram silk saree from Tamil Nadu as she presented the Budget for the ninth consecutive time.
TL;DR: “Every year, it becomes a strain on me because of questions about what I am going to wear on Budget day.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday flagged what she described as persistent gender bias around Budget day, saying public attention often shifts from her work to her attire, a scrutiny she said male finance ministers do not face.
“Every year, it becomes a strain on me because of questions about what I am going to wear on Budget day. I dare ask, would they have ever asked a male finance minister what he is wearing during the Budget? They don’t ask it of a man, but no, even this becomes a subject of the Budget," Sitharaman said during an interaction after the presentation of Union Budget 2026.
Referring to public commentary, she said remarks such as “Arre saree kaun sa – what she is going to read what she going to tell us" place undue importance on appearance rather than substance. “I don’t find this harmful, but it goes in a direction that is not necessary. This becomes a stress point for women. I am out of it now. I will wear what I want to," she said, adding that such discussions cross professional boundaries.
Emphasising equality, Sitharaman said, “How you treat a man, you treat me also… that means that we draw equality in the true sense. You can’t demand privileges — Mahila hain ki? Nahi chalega, kaam main dikhao."
Sitharaman, who on Sunday presented the Union Budget for a record ninth consecutive time, wore a handwoven Kancheevaram silk saree from Tamil Nadu. Her ninth straight Budget presentation was also highlighted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Cabinet meeting and during interactions at the start of the Budget session, with the Prime Minister calling it a significant achievement.
A frequent target of misogynistic commentary, Sitharaman’s stature within and outside the government has grown over the years, particularly as she steered economic policy through crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic and global trade disruptions.
Speaking to students after the Budget, including several young women, the finance minister said the repeated focus on her attire reflected a deeper issue that women in leadership continue to face.
SHE Marts And Women Empowerment
TL;DR: Against this backdrop, the Budget’s emphasis on women’s economic empowerment marked a broader extension of Sitharaman’s remarks.
Against this backdrop, the Budget’s emphasis on women’s economic empowerment marked a broader extension of Sitharaman’s remarks. The government announced plans to set up a new retail and enterprise platform for women self-help groups (SHGs) and launch Self-Help Entrepreneur (SHE) Marts to strengthen market access for products made by rural women entrepreneurs.
The initiative builds on the Centre’s Lakhpati Didi programme, aimed at enabling women to achieve financial independence. As the Prime Minister has said earlier, when women are empowered, the nation is strengthened — a theme that echoed through both Sitharaman’s Budget proposals and her remarks on the scrutiny she faces as a woman in public life.
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News india 'They Don’t Ask Men': Sitharaman Flags Gender Bias Over Question On Budget Day Attire
Curated by Aisha Patel
