“Empowerment through Labour: Women’s Participation in MGNREGA and Its Social Impact.”

सार

Empowerment of women, especially in rural India, remains one of the most critical dimensions of inclusive development. Despite being significant contributors to agricultural and informal sectors, rural women often face restricted access to income-generating opportunities, decision-making spaces and public resources. In this context, public employment schemes such as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) have emerged as vital instruments not only for poverty alleviation but also for enhancing the socio-economic status of rural women¹.

Enacted in 2005, MGNREGA guarantees 100 days of wage employment annually to every rural household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work. With its legal assurance of employment and focus on transparency and inclusivity, MGNREGA has created a significant platform for women to enter the paid workforce². According to the Ministry of Rural Development, over 50% of total person-days generated under MGNREGA in recent years have been attributed to women, demonstrating their increasing presence in the rural labor market³.