A large network of women's collectives in the form of Self groups across rural India has the potential to transform social norms and gender relations and support women in participating in the political process. Programmes like MGNREGS can significantly transform gender relations by promoting the right to work with dignity and social protection
The recent Global Gender Gap Report 2024 of the World Economic Forum highlighted India's position at 129 out of 146 countries on the Global Gender Gap Index, placing it 17th from the bottom, a position that has seen little improvement over the last two decades. The report reveals that economic participation and opportunity, along with political empowerment, scored lower compared to health, survival, and educational attainment. While the report provides a comparative analysis of countries on various macro indicators, it lacks a granular understanding of the specific challenges and issues faced, particularly in rural India.
A study published by Lancet Regional Health South Asia, tracking the progress of SDG indicators in 707 districts of India using NFHS data from 2016 and 2021, offers significant insights into the structural, policy, and resource constraints hindering SDG attainment in India. The key findings highlight that India is off-target for 19 of the 33 SDG indicators. Critical areas where the country lags include No Poverty (SDG 1), Zero Hunger (SDG 2), Good Health and Well-Being (SDG 3), and Gender Equality (SDG 5). Notably, over 75 percent of the districts are off-target for indicators like access to basic services, wasting and overweight children, anaemia, child marriage, partner violence, tobacco use, and modern contraceptive use. These gender-sensitive indicators underscore the significant work needed to achieve gender equality and reduce inequality (SDG-10).
A study by Samarthan, in collaboration with UNICEF, provides deeper insights into the responsiveness of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) for women, children, and the poor during COVID-19. The MGNREGS, with its constitutional guarantee of 100 days of employment for every poor family and several gender-sensitive provisions, emerged as a focal point. These provisions include reserving one-third of workdays for women, equal wages for men and women, crèche facilities for working mothers, special work for pregnant and lactating women, and benefits under the motherhood scheme.
The study analysed MGNREGS portal data from the financial years 2019–2020 and 2021 to develop three indices: the Women Participation Index (WPI), the Gender Parity Index (GPI), and the Shock Responsive Index (SRI). These indices measure the programme's responsiveness from the perspective of the women of poor families demanding work under MGNREGS. Conducted in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan, the study also collected primary data from 300 eligible MGNREGS women workers with children under 12 years of age in each of the states.
The WPI and GPI revealed interesting patterns, particularly in Madhya Pradesh's tribal districts, where MGNREGS performance on SRI and GPI was better. There was a positive correlation between women’s participation, gender parity indices, and the sex ratio. In highly feudal and patriarchal societies like Bundelkhand in MP and certain regions of Rajasthan, the scheme's performance on both indices was poor.
Primary data from MGNREGS women workers with small children revealed that only drinking water was provided at worksites, with crèche facilities being rare. Many women dropped out of work for childcare, though those who continued often brought their children to the worksite. In Chhattisgarh, many women fed their children after returning home, while in MP, a significant number went home to breastfeed during breaks, impacting children's nutrition and health.
More than 90 percent of women workers expressed a clear demand for crèche facilities to allow them the freedom to work. Preferences varied, with MP and CG women prioritising hygienically cooked food in crèches, while Rajasthan women preferred skilled caretakers. The study also highlighted that wage payments directly into bank accounts empowered women, with about two-thirds of MGNREGS women workers partially sharing their wages with their families. In MP and Rajasthan, half of the women shared their wages, while in CG, one-third had full control over their wages. Women, increasingly having better control over their wages, had decision-making power over their children's education, though less over their marriage.
These studies highlight some of the key messages for planners aiming to address India's persistently low ranking in the global gender gap and to attain SDGs related to poverty, hunger, and gender equality. In regions with entrenched gender inequality, patriarchy, and regressive social practices, well-designed programmes like MGNREGS yield low results. Strengthening the social justice function of local governance institutions is essential to altering gender-biased social practices. There should be more programmes that focus on social change parameters rather than more tangible programmes of construction, targets, and numbers.
A large network of women's collectives in the form of Self groups across rural India has the potential to transform social norms and gender relations and support women in participating in the political process. Programmes like MGNREGS can significantly transform gender relations by promoting the right to work with dignity and social protection.
MGNREGS demands policy attention from both union and state governments. Allocating more funds, defining it as a women's empowerment programme, creating gender-responsive policy provisions, and establishing a gender-sensitive monitoring system are crucial steps. These measures can ensure the program's potential is fully realised, contributing to gender equality and economic growth in India.
Enhancing women's work participation rates under MGNREGS can contribute to India's goal of attaining a $5 trillion GDP. Proper childcare facilities at workplaces or nearby can be a game-changer, improving the quality of life for rural poor households and enhancing women's participation in local governance with stronger control over their wages.
(Yogesh Kumar, Executive Director, Samarthan-Cenre for Development Support.)