Ensuring social participation of rural women: the role of mnregp as an empowering strategy

In recent years, empowerment of women has been recognized as a central issue in determining the status of women. The empowerment of rural women is crucial for the development of the rural India. Bringing women into the mainstream of development is a major concern for the government of India. In order to achieve empowerment in every realm of life, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (MGNREGP) has become novel idea to eradicate rural poverty and strengthen women’s voice by supplying at least 100 days job to a family and thereby creating their innate vitality. The study gives lights to the fact that most of the women were reluctant to attend public programmes and other ceremonies before the launching of MGNREGS. They have no bank accounts and their participation in social activities were few. Besides this it also aims at environmental protection and sustainable development. This is not only a scheme providing job but also gives rights to the workers in selection, completion, monitoring, inspection etc.
In Kerala, 95%of the workers are rural women having no other income so by engaging in MGNREGS the rural employed unskilled women got a regular income for their family it increases their social status in family as well as in the society. This study findings shows that this scheme can improve the self efficacy of women and their social participation.