An Inter-state Analysis of Women’s Participation in MGNREGA

Abstract

The inter-state variations in the participation of rural women in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in India poses major challenges to the success of the programme. The present article tries to find out how demographic, socioeconomic and gender development indicators impact inter-state variations across the states. The major finding of the article is that in the states where poverty and gender inequality are deeply intertwined and factored into low human development, women’s participation in MGNREGA tend to be minimal. It suggests policy reforms to tackle the various nuisances that rural women confront in their daily lives and minimise gender inequalities in public work programmes.