Volume-4, Issue-6, December-2014, ISSN No.: 2250-0758 International Journal of Engineering and Management Research Available at: www.ijemr.net Page Number: 1-5 MGNREGA: Making Way for Social Change in Women s: A Case Study of Musunuru Mandal in Andhra Pradesh Ch. Venu Babu 1, Dr. G. Sudhakar 2 1 Ph.D Scholar, Department of Economics, Acharya Nagarjuna University, Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh, INDIA 2 Principal, Dr. KRRM Degree College, Duggirala, Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh, INDIA ABSTRACT The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act is an epoch making event in the history of independent India. There is much that the NREGA promises from the perspective of women s empowerment as well. Most boldly, in a rural milieu marked by stark inequalities between men and women in the opportunities for gainful employment afforded as well as wage rates NREGA represents action on both these counts. The act stipulates that wages will be equal for men and women. Andhra Pradesh and Panchayat have been very vigilant in spreading awareness about NREGA through radio, poster, television, notice board on gram sabhas Vision Mahatma Gandhi NREGA seeks to enhance the livelihood security of the women s in rural areas of the country by providing at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in every financial year to every women whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work., etc. The manifold functions taken up by MGNREGA members range from identification of projects to supervision of works and submission of records for wage disbursement. The objective of the Study is to enhance livelihood security in rural areas by providing at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year to every poor women s whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work. This work guarantee can also serve other objectives generating productive assets, protecting the environment, empowering rural women, reducing rural urban migration and fostering social equity, among others. The main of objective of the paper is to study the performance of women labourers in generating employment in the study area. Keywords--- MGNREGS, Empowering, Productive, Equity, Income levels, Financial I. INTRODUCTION The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act is an epoch making event in the history of independent India. There is much that the NREGA promises from the perspective of women s empowerment as well. Most boldly, in a rural milieu marked by stark inequalities between men and women in the opportunities for gainful employment afforded as well as wage rates NREGA represents action on both these counts. The act stipulates that wages will be equal for men and women. It is also committed to ensuring that at least 33 percent of the workers shall be women. By generating employment for women at fair wages in the village, NREGA can play a substantial role in economically empowering women and laying the basis for greater independence and self-esteem. The concept of women s empowerment got wider popularity and acceptance in Kerala with the launching of decentralized planning in the state. In Andhra Pradesh, is playing a critical role in the implementation of the NREGS. Not only are women accessing the scheme in much larger proportions in all districts than the stipulated percentage (almost 80 percent of the workers in the scheme are women), Andhra Pradesh groups are active in implementing the scheme with women s and responsibility of overall supervision. Andhra Pradesh and Panchayat have been very vigilant in spreading awareness about NREGA through radio, poster, television, notice board on gram sabhas, etc. The manifold functions taken up by MGNREGA members range from identification of projects to supervision of works and submission of records for wage disbursement. II. VISION Mahatma Gandhi NREGA seeks to enhance the livelihood security of the women s in rural areas of the country by providing at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in every financial year to every women whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work. III. BRIEF HISTORY Mahatma Gandhi NREGA was launched in 200 select districts on 2.2.2006 and was extended to 130 additional districts during 2007-08. All the remaining rural areas in the country have been covered under the Act w.e.f. 1.4.2008. Presently, Mahatma Gandhi NREGA is being implemented in all the notified rural areas of the country. 1
IV. NEED FOR THE STUDY VI. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION MGNREGS aimed at helping the poor women s to improve of farm incomes through participatory technological interventions, application of ecotechnologies, ICT-enabled knowledge system, value chain and market linkage, and building their capacity, are being implemented now. This underlines the need for the study. In the backdrop of planning for economic development in the context of spreading globalization impact, a study of the contribution of MGNREGS adds to the literature on development for equality and betterment of people belonging to the scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribe communities women who form a special class of under privileged villagers. V. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY The objectives of the Act is to enhance livelihood security in rural areas by providing at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year to every poor women s whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work. This work guarantee can also serve other objectives: generating productive assets, protecting the environment, empowering rural women, reducing rural urban migration and fostering social equity, among others. The main of objective of the paper is to study the performance of women labourers in generating employment in the study area. Making Way for Women s Empowerment an Overview in India: Women s participation in MGNREGA points at some unique and often contradicting aspects. First, states not known for women s participation in workforce are reporting a high number of women joining the programme. Andhra Pradesh where women account for about 15 per cent of the workforce. Under the Act they take up 79 per cent of the employment created. Two other states, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan, with low share of women in workforce have 82 per cent and 69 per cent women workers under MGNREGA, respectively. Second, poor states with greater casual labour potential, like Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, report low women participation (22-33 per cent). This is contradictory to the assumption that poverty forces women to take up casual jobs. Third, it is believed that states with labour-intensive farming like paddy cultivation pull more women into workforce. Above table shows increasing women s participation in MGNREGA in India till FY 2006-07 to FY 2011-12. It observed from the above table the highest in 48% of the women participation. Total throughout India in the FY 2008-09, 2009-2010, FY 2010-11. In the period 2006-07, and 2007-08 Tamil Nadu has highest percentage of women s days and also Jamu and Kashmir has lowest percentage of women days in the period 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11, Kerala has highest percentage of women days in the year 2011-12, Kerala has highest percentage of women days and also Uttar Pradesh has lowest percentage of women days. Finally observed that Kerala has highest percentage of women days and also Jamu and Kashmir has lowest percentage of women days. Above table shows an overview of the performance of MGNREGA FY 2006-07 to FY 2011-12. It observed from the above table that the highest districts in the throughout country all districts in the FY 2008-09, 2009-10,2010-11, 2011-12, reaming FY 2006-07 200 Districts, 2007-08 330 Districts women participation. 2
Broadly, all the women workers of the India have been participation of in FY wise highest in 2009-10 (48%) and Lowest is 2006-07 (40%) next remaining FY is rapidly increasing. Second thing is average person days per employed in women highest ratio in FY 2009-10 (54 days) Lowest days in FY 2007-08, 2011-12 in (42 days). Finally the women generated for employment in 2006-07 to 2011-12 in (47%) in the total financial years. Above table shows women employment generated under the MGNREGA in Andhra Pradesh till 2011-2012. It observed from the above table that the highest cumulative person days is 6962838 in total our Districts in Andhra Pradesh in the financial year 2011-2012. Cumulative person days in total 58.22 generated for women followed by kadapa and Nizamabad districts. The highest cumulative person days generated in Kurnool district 641452 in cumulative person days in 54.68. Cumulative person days generated for women followed by Srikakulam and East Godavari districts. Above the table denotes women work and wage earnings in MGNREGA in Andhra Pradesh during the period 2010-11 to 2012-13. In the year 2010-11, Visakhapatnam district has highest working women and Kurnool district has lowest working women. In the year 2010-11 wages for women, Prakasam district has highest wages earnings for women and also Nalgonda district has lowest wage earnings. In the year 2011-12, Warangal District has highest working women and Kurnool District has lowest working women. In the year 2011-12, Krishna District has highest wage earnings and West Godavari District has lowest wage earnings, in the year 2012-13, Warangal District has highest working women and Kurnool district has lowest working women, in the year 2012-13, Anantapur district has highest wage earnings and west Godavari district has lowest wage earnings. Finally, Warangal District has highest working women in the period 2011-13 and 2012-13, and also Kurnool District has lowest working women in the same period. West Godavari District has lowest wage earnings for the period 2011-12 and 2012-13. For the purpose of the study 100 respondents from each village has randomly selected. Above table is devoted to analyze the extent of participation of SC, ST and other women in NREGS. Broadly, all the sample workers of three villages have been divided in to three categories Viz. Scheduled Castes (SCs) Scheduled Tribes (STs), and other castes (OCs). In the study, the proportion of SCs is 45.33 percent STs 19.0 percent, and OCs 35.67 percent. 3
VII. THE EXPERIENCES OF THE WOMEN MGNREGA MUSUNURU VILLAGE Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh were shared; an organization comprising about 8000-9000 women whose main activity is to provide economic and social rights of women in rural areas. It spans 4 taluks and has 500 SHG participants. When the NREGS was initially implemented, GMO took up awareness generation activities at the ward level, including pamphlet distribution. It was elaborated that in one case, machines were employed to do NREGS work at night, and in the morning photographs were taken of workers labouring at worksites! It was observed that there was pressure on the functionaries of the programme to provide jobs soon, release funds quickly and utilize them efficiently so as to be able to claim future NREGS funds. Further, though complaints were registered with the Gram Panchayat and CEO, these were to no avail. In other experiences of the scheme at the ground level, Simhadripuram, Musunuru Krishna District, elaborated on how the responsibility for organizing meetings and spreading awareness of NREGS had been taken up at the Gram Panchayat level, but there was a major problem of fund release, as money never came in. There was the impression created among the NREGS functionaries and beneficiaries that works and processes under NREGS should be completed fast so that the Gram Panchayat doesn't lose the money. Reporting the positive impact of the NREGA, women participating in the scheme said they had become less dependent on their husbands for money and didn't need to submit the entire amount they earned to their mother in laws. While responding to the state-wise experiences of these groups, the Joint Director of NREGA for Andhra Pradesh reported that the actual number of employment person days worked by a household is contingent on its demand. He highlighted instances where prospective labourers had given in applications for work, but these had been denied by the Panchayat Secretary, or even if accepted, dated receipts were not issued (making them eligible for unemployment allowance). VIII. SOCIAL CHANGE IN WOMEN S Kumari who is in her 50s, is the Dalit woman Sarpanch of Korlagunta village. She was elected last two years back with overwhelming support of women in her area; she attributes her win to growing awareness among women because of the employment guarantee programme. Of the 1,300 MGNREGA job cards issued in her Panchayat, Kumari was among the first. The numbers bear out the popularity of the scheme with women in the Mandal. Women constitute 67% of the total 482.9 million people who have benefited from MGNREGA across the state. In Krishna district, women constitute 73% of the MGNREGA workforce. Participation of women in MGNREGA across the state is almost two-thirds and this is making them financially empowered, says commissioner, MGNREGA in Andhra Pradesh. The fact that they are coming out of their homes to work and are making financial decisions shows they are breaking several social barriers. With work also comes an awareness of one s rights. IX. POLICY IMPLICATIONS The effectiveness of MGNREGA crucially depends on what type of schemes it gives priority to. Lack of focus of social, gender inequality n creation of productive assets has been a major reason for limited success of wage employment programme. Compared to men, the proportion of unskilled, subsidiary workers among women is much larger under MGNREGA. Given poor health and literacy as well as the predominant responsibility of housework and caring, women have recourse only to work that is available. To improve such gendered condition of women, SEWA has suggested a longer period of employment with a package of capacity development and training in new technology based income generation activities, such as (1) agro-processing, watershed development (2) printing, carpentry, plumbing and so on (3) creation of environmental assets such as tree plantation, recycling, water harvesting and operation and maintenance of water resources, including hand pumps and pipelines (Nanavaty and Pandya, 2008). A longer period of assured employment, and hence income, definitely increases the capability of women to lift their households by their own efforts (with some help from older children and men) and undertake risk-taking investments. X. NREGA AND WOMEN SOCIAL CHANGE Percentage share of employment availed by women under MGNREGS was 40% during 2006-07, 43% in 2007-08, 48% in 2008-09, 48% in 2009-10 and 48% in 2010-11. Hence, the percentage of women beneficiary under MGNREGA has been much higher than provided under the Act (i.e. 33% of total employment). Out of total 26.69 crore registered workers under MGNREGA for whom job cards have been issued so far, 11.62 crore (43.53%) are women. In 2010-2011, out of the total of 8.73 crore workers who requested for work, 3.92 crore (44.9%) were women. XI. CONCLUSION MGNREGA has positive impact on gender and gender empowerment. Women have benefited both as individual and community. Women are benefited individually because they are able to earn independently, spend some money for their own needs, contribute in family expenditure etc. The gained benefits of women as community can be understood by increased presence in the gram sabha, increasing number of women in speaking out 4
in the meetings, increasing capacity of interaction etc. But the poor implementation across the nation (such as lack of child care facility, worksite facility and illegal presence of contractors) accrued the gender sensitiveness of this act mainly in Andhra Pradesh state. Certain initiatives and changes should be taken to remove these barriers. The valuable gains should not be derailed for poor implementation. REFERENCES [1] Economic Survey of India 2011-12. [2] Aasha Kapur Mehta (2008) Multidimensional Poverty in India: Distirct Level Estimates, IIPA, New Delhi. [3] Edward Shipiro (2004) Micro Economic Analysis, Galgotiya publication, New-Delhi, p147. [4] Sabina Alkire and Marina Emma Santos, (July 2010) Multidimensional Poverty Index, OPHI, Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative, United Kingdom. [5] Ambasta, P. Vijay Shankar, P.S.and Mihir.S. (2008), Tow years of NREGA: The Road Ahead, Economic and Political Weekly, Vol.43, No.8, pp.41-50. [6] Bhattacharya, R. and Sudarshan, R. (2007), NREGA: Gaps in Intent and Outcomes, Institute of Social Studies Trust (ISST), New Delhi. [7] National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) (2005 To 2011) [8] Dev, S. Mahendra and C. Ravi (2003) Andhra Pradesh Development: Economic Reforms and Challenges Ahead, Centre for Economic and Social Studies, Hyderabad. Copyright 2011-14. Vandana Publications. All Rights Reserved. 5