Women empowerment through MGNREGA

RURAL WOMEN EMPOWERMENT THROUGH MGNREGS IN THE

STATE OF KERALAABDUL AZEEZ. NP

Junior Research Fellow, Department of Economics, Aligarh Muslim University

MGNREGA: Objectives(a) Primary Objective:

“Empowerment of the society by creation of durable assets and strengthening the livelihood resource base of the rural poor by providing at least one hundred days of guaranteed wage employment …”

(a) Secondary objectives:

• To reduce distress migration;• Creation of durable community assets in rural areas;• Invigorating civic and community life and enlivening of PRIs;• Empowerment of rural women;• Overall development of the rural economy; • Promotion of inclusive growth and development

Factors Encouraging Women Participation

Nature of works (not require special knowledge)

Outmigration of male family members

Availability of employment opportunities at doorstep

Provision of equal wage

Innovative experiments in implementation (Female mate)

Various provisions available at work site

Synergy of MGNREGS with various programme.

Provision for Women’s Empowerment through MGNREGS

Gender parity of wage

Ensuring that at least 33% of the workers shall be women

Increased in control rights of women in earnings from MGNREGA

Provisions like

• Work within a radius of five kilometers from the house

• Flexibility in terms of choosing period and months of employment

crèches for the children of women workers

women’s participation in the Gramsabha

work selection

social audit

mobilization of civil society

share in the controlling and supervising

management of assets created

Participation of women in MGNREGS

Women’s Employment in Kerala

In Kerala more than half of the population is women

employment discrimination of women like employment

discrimination, denial of their rights, economic backwardness,

employment injustice in organized sector

women are engaged in unorganized sector

women are relatively more educated, experiences one of the

lowest female work participation and highest unemployment

Kudumbasree

Kudumbasree (prosperity of the family), the women oriented community based poverty alleviation programme which is based on micro credit and self help group ,being Implemented by the Kerala Government, with the Active support of Government of India NABARD which tries to empower women.

The mission aims at removing poverty among rural women households, the empowerment of women, through forming self help groups and encouraging their entrepreneurial or other wide range of activities.

Thrift and credit societies, linkage banking, lease land farming, rural micro enterprises etc are some of the initiatives introduced by Kudumbasree to improve the livelihood of the poor women

Kudumbasree and MGNREGS

Kudumbasree groups are active in implementing the scheme with women ‘mates’ and responsibility of overall supervision. The manifold functions taken up by Kudumbasree members range from identification of projects to supervision of works and submission of records for wage disbursement. They are very vigilant in spreading awareness about MGNREGS through radio, poster, television, notice board on gram Sabha, etc. thus women enjoyed pre-eminence, safety, security and respect, including self-respect.

Structure of Kudumbasree

Gram Panchayat

Community Development Society(CDS)(One in each panchayat, registered as a Society under the Societies Act)

Area Development Society (30-40 NHGs) – ward level(Overseeing committee of 7 persons)

Neighbourhood Groups and Self Help Groups (10-20 persons)

Duties of ADS in MGNREGS The Estimate of the work should be displayed in the board They should provide all the necessary to the workers Provide tools/implements at the worksite Get signatures of the workers in the muster roll ADS should ensure that the workers are coming on time

and doing the correct amount of work. Site diary to be maintained giving details of income and

expense, number of implements used; number of people and days worked by each one.

If there are children below 5 yrs, a shed to be made and an ayah to look after the children

First Aid Box to be provided at the worksite Interact with the Panchayat and other officials Ensure that the wages are given on time

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Women Participation under MGNREGS-National Scenario

2006-07

2010-11

District level Women Participation in KeralaDISTRICTS 2008-09 2009-2010 2010-2011

PALAKKAD 89.07 92.21 93.25

WAYANAD 76.60 79.44 84.93

IDUKKI 87.06 72.54 71.79

KASARGOD 82.79 87.85 87.40

ALAPPUZHA 89.45 93.28 94.45

ERNAKULAM 91.08 93.93 94.69

KANNUR 85.81 93.58 95.49

KOLLAM 82.53 87.18 86.90

KOTTAYAM 85.84 94.58 95.54

KOZHIKODE 83.34 92.71 93.68

MALAPPURAM 78.79 92.26 92.86

PATHANAMTHITTA 82.08 92.89 94.65

THRISSUR 94.44 95.87 95.64

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM 85.02 90.02 90.87

GRND TOTAL 85.01 88.19 90.36

Women Participation in Kerala-(District Wise Analysis)

Kudumbasree Workers Engaging in Work

Consequences of Women Participation Increased their ability to earn resulted high consumption choice and reduced economic dependence

As women are comfortable working along with their neighbors, nearly 90% of the workers have been women.

For the first time equal wages are really paid and this has boosted the earnings of women.

As the wages are paid into Bank accounts the habit of thrift which was already inculcated through the Kudumbasree experiment has further been strengthened.

As the Bank deposits are increasing, the intra-household status of the woman has also been improving commensurately as she controls substantial cash resources and withdrawal can be only on her decision. As a capacity building process

Conclusion Empowerment of rural women has emerged as an unintended consequence of MGNREGS. Women have benefited more as workers than as a community.

By generating employment for women at fair wages in the village, MGNREGA can play a substantial role in economically empowering women and laying the basis for greater independence and self-esteem. The Kerala model of linking MGNREGS with women’s groups (Kudumbasree) may be useful for greater process participation. Thus in Kerala this program became a “Women Program”

THANKS