Drawing a Link—Women’s Empowerment and Mahatma GandhiNational Rural Employment Guarantee Act: A Study Conducted in the Goalpara District, Assam

Abstract

This article reports on an empirical research that examined the extent of economic empowerment gained by women engaged in Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in the district of Goalpara, Assam. The key objective of the MGNREGA is to provide social security to rural households by guaranteeing 100 days of paid employment in public works within a year. Based on nine variables (education, land ownership, ownership of other assets, control over income contributed by a woman to her family, control over the income of the family, savings, access to credit, social participation, cash income earned from income generating activities) and calculated using empowerment index, the research compared the magnitude of women's empowerment before and after getting involved in MGNREGA. The findings suggest that while MGNREGA is an important leap to ensuring economic empowerment to rural women, but the scheme has not been implemented properly in the district-women and men not getting 100 days of employment, irregular mode of payment, very slow progress and poor quality in public works.

Women's Empowerment and Fertility Behaviour among the Tribals of Rajasthan, India

“…The results demonstrate that education, employability, household decision-making, media exposure, and spousal communication are found to be significant indicators of fertility behaviour amongst the women of the Meenas, Bhils and Saharias. From the analysis, one can presume that Rowland's (1995;1997) power within and power to (Bhattacharyya, 2009;Bhattacharyya, 2016;Bhattacharyya and Vauquline 2013) are the keys mediating the fertility behaviour amongst the women of these three communities. It can be argued that the results of this research empirically confirm the findings of previous studies (Koppen, 2006;Melinda et al, 2008;Kravdal, 2001;Dreze and Murthi, 2001;Blake and Delpinal, 1982;Jain, 1981;Caldwell, 1980;Rindfuss et al, 1980;Mahadevan, 1979;Cochrane, 1979;Berelson, 1976;Bogue 1969;Driver, 1963).…”

“…They arepower over-power that enables to dominate others; power with -power formed by collective acts/actions; power within-this is the power that helps an individual to develop self-confidence and power to -this form of power enables to transform or build change. Bhattacharyya (2009); Bhattacharyya (2016) and Bhattacharyya and Vauquline (2013) applied Rowland's concept of empowerment to scrutinise Indian women's changing status and roles at different hierarchies.…”

Political Ecology in Merbeel: A Power Play Around Past and Present Wetland Resource Management

“…adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work." (Bhattacharyya and Vauquline, 2013;Bhattacharyya, 2016) In the course of the study, it is noticed that power equation and associated sociohierarchical dynamics gets manifested in varying patterns ranging from pre-colonial times to the current period. Since the wetland and its island are perceivably resourceful so, accessibility to the resources remains a matter of contention.…”

Gender Based Discrimination in the Construction Industry: A Case Study of Sonitpur District of Assam

“…There have been subsequent development initiatives that are being undertaken by the Indian government through policies for propelling increased economic contribution from this sector. However, policymakers, and the government have been paying more attention to women empowerment and their advancement by eliminating all issues related to gender-inflicted atrocities and exploitation for women in the workplace (Bhattacharyya 2016). Butthe initiatives aimed at protecting the rights and workplace safety of the women working in the unorganized sector are few, keeping them on the periphery and preventing their emancipation (Singh 2010).…”