Lok Sabha Question No. 323 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-22
Subject: Employment to Women under MGNREGS
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shri Eswarasamy K

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 323 ANSWERED ON 22/07/2025

## EMPLOYMENT TO WOMEN UNDER MGNREGS

## 323. SHRI ESWARASAMY K:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  rate  of  women  employment  under  the  Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) has decreased over the years in rural areas;
- (b)
- if so, the details thereof, if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) the number of women workers who were provided employment under MGNREGS during each of the last three years, State/UTwise;
- (d) whether  Government  proposes  to  provide  non-transient/table jobs  to  women  workers  to  increase  their  participation  under MGNREGS and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the  details  of  measures  taken  by  the  Government  in  this regard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

(SHRI KAMLESH PASWAN)

(a)& (b): The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (Mahatma Gandhi NREGA) has special provisions for women and it has been categorically mentioned in Schedule-II, Para 15  that  while  providing  employment,  priority  shall  be  given  to women  in  such  a  way  that  at  least  one-third  of  the  beneficiaries shall be women who have registered and demanded for work under the Scheme.

The participation of women under the scheme has consistently been more than 50% in the last five financial years.The participation of women has increased steadily from 48% in FY 2013-14 to 58.1 % during the FY 2024-25.

(c): State/Union Territory (UT)-wise number of women workers who availed  of  employment  under  Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGS  during  the last three financial years is given at Annexure.

(d)&(e): There  is  no  such  proposal.  However,  there  are  several provisions  made  under  the  scheme  for  the  welfare  of  women workers and their empowerment.

It  has been provided that a separate Schedule of Rates shall be  finalized  for  women,  the  elderly,  people  with  disabilities  and people with debilitating ailments so as to improve their participation through productive work. For ensuring women participation,  provision  of  creche  facilities   at  worksites  has  been made  in case the number of children below the age of five years accompanying the women working at any site is five or more.

Further, it has been provided that at least 50% of the worksite supervisors  (mates)  should  be  women,  preferably  from  among  the members of Self Help Groups (SHGs).

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## Annexure

## Annexure  referred  to  in  reply  to  part  (c)  of  LokSabhaUnstarred Question No.323 dated 22.07.2025.

| State/Union Territory (UT)-wise number of women workers who availed of employment under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS during the last three financial   | State/Union Territory (UT)-wise number of women workers who availed of employment under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS during the last three financial   | State/Union Territory (UT)-wise number of women workers who availed of employment under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS during the last three financial   | State/Union Territory (UT)-wise number of women workers who availed of employment under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS during the last three financial   | State/Union Territory (UT)-wise number of women workers who availed of employment under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS during the last three financial   |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Sl. No.                                                                                                                                        | States/UTs                                                                                                                                     | 2024-25                                                                                                                                        | 2023-24                                                                                                                                        | 2022-23                                                                                                                                        |
| 1                                                                                                                                              | Andhra Pradesh                                                                                                                                 | 42.0                                                                                                                                           | 41.9                                                                                                                                           | 41.9                                                                                                                                           |
| 2                                                                                                                                              | Arunachal Pradesh                                                                                                                              | 1.5                                                                                                                                            | 1.3                                                                                                                                            | 1.3                                                                                                                                            |
| 3                                                                                                                                              | Assam                                                                                                                                          | 14.2                                                                                                                                           | 17.0                                                                                                                                           | 17.0                                                                                                                                           |
| 4                                                                                                                                              | Bihar                                                                                                                                          | 30.9                                                                                                                                           | 29.0                                                                                                                                           | 31.0                                                                                                                                           |
| 5                                                                                                                                              | Chhattisgarh                                                                                                                                   | 23.7                                                                                                                                           | 23.4                                                                                                                                           | 24.7                                                                                                                                           |
| 6                                                                                                                                              | Goa                                                                                                                                            | 0.0                                                                                                                                            | 0.0                                                                                                                                            | 0.0                                                                                                                                            |
| 7                                                                                                                                              | Gujarat                                                                                                                                        | 6.3                                                                                                                                            | 7.3                                                                                                                                            | 7.9                                                                                                                                            |
| 8                                                                                                                                              | Haryana                                                                                                                                        | 2.9                                                                                                                                            | 3.1                                                                                                                                            | 2.5                                                                                                                                            |
| 9                                                                                                                                              | Himachal Pradesh                                                                                                                               | 6.1                                                                                                                                            | 5.7                                                                                                                                            | 5.3                                                                                                                                            |
| 10                                                                                                                                             | Jammu and Kashmir                                                                                                                              | 3.8                                                                                                                                            | 3.5                                                                                                                                            | 3.3                                                                                                                                            |
| 11                                                                                                                                             | Jharkhand                                                                                                                                      | 11.4                                                                                                                                           | 12.3                                                                                                                                           | 12.0                                                                                                                                           |
| 12                                                                                                                                             | Karnataka                                                                                                                                      | 26.9                                                                                                                                           | 27.7                                                                                                                                           | 27.0                                                                                                                                           |
| 13                                                                                                                                             | Kerala                                                                                                                                         | 12.8                                                                                                                                           | 13.9                                                                                                                                           | 14.7                                                                                                                                           |
| 14                                                                                                                                             | Ladakh                                                                                                                                         | 0.2                                                                                                                                            | 0.2                                                                                                                                            | 0.2                                                                                                                                            |
| 15                                                                                                                                             | Madhya Pradesh                                                                                                                                 | 26.4                                                                                                                                           | 28.6                                                                                                                                           | 33.0                                                                                                                                           |
| 16                                                                                                                                             | Maharashtra                                                                                                                                    | 22.9                                                                                                                                           | 18.1                                                                                                                                           | 16.5                                                                                                                                           |
| 17                                                                                                                                             | Manipur                                                                                                                                        | 3.2                                                                                                                                            | 2.7                                                                                                                                            | 2.0                                                                                                                                            |
| 18                                                                                                                                             | Meghalaya                                                                                                                                      | 3.4                                                                                                                                            | 3.7                                                                                                                                            | 3.5                                                                                                                                            |
| 19                                                                                                                                             | Mizoram                                                                                                                                        | 1.1                                                                                                                                            | 1.1                                                                                                                                            | 1.1                                                                                                                                            |
| 20                                                                                                                                             | Nagaland                                                                                                                                       | 1.1                                                                                                                                            | 2.1                                                                                                                                            | 2.1                                                                                                                                            |
| 21                                                                                                                                             | Odisha                                                                                                                                         | 16.5                                                                                                                                           | 24.2                                                                                                                                           | 24.6                                                                                                                                           |
| 22                                                                                                                                             | Punjab                                                                                                                                         | 6.6                                                                                                                                            | 6.7                                                                                                                                            | 6.6                                                                                                                                            |
| 23                                                                                                                                             | Rajasthan                                                                                                                                      | 50.0                                                                                                                                           | 55.0                                                                                                                                           | 55.1                                                                                                                                           |
| 24                                                                                                                                             | Sikkim                                                                                                                                         | 0.4                                                                                                                                            | 0.4                                                                                                                                            | 0.4                                                                                                                                            |
| 25                                                                                                                                             | Tamil Nadu                                                                                                                                     | 62.0                                                                                                                                           | 65.6                                                                                                                                           | 62.6                                                                                                                                           |
| 26                                                                                                                                             | Telangana                                                                                                                                      | 24.9                                                                                                                                           | 23.6                                                                                                                                           | 26.0                                                                                                                                           |
| 27                                                                                                                                             | Tripura                                                                                                                                        | 4.1                                                                                                                                            | 4.2                                                                                                                                            | 4.1                                                                                                                                            |
| 28                                                                                                                                             | Uttar Pradesh                                                                                                                                  | 31.8                                                                                                                                           | 33.4                                                                                                                                           | 32.3                                                                                                                                           |
| 29                                                                                                                                             | Uttarakhand                                                                                                                                    | 3.3                                                                                                                                            | 3.7                                                                                                                                            | 3.9                                                                                                                                            |
| 30                                                                                                                                             | West Bengal                                                                                                                                    | 0.0                                                                                                                                            | 0.0                                                                                                                                            | 9.8                                                                                                                                            |
| 31                                                                                                                                             | Andaman and Nicobar                                                                                                                            | 0.0                                                                                                                                            | 0.0                                                                                                                                            | 0.0                                                                                                                                            |
| 32                                                                                                                                             | Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu                                                                                                       | 0.1                                                                                                                                            | 0.0                                                                                                                                            | 0.0                                                                                                                                            |
| 33                                                                                                                                             | Lakshadweep                                                                                                                                    | 0.0                                                                                                                                            | 0.0                                                                                                                                            | 0.0                                                                                                                                            |
| 34                                                                                                                                             | Puducherry                                                                                                                                     | 0.4                                                                                                                                            | 0.5                                                                                                                                            | 0.4                                                                                                                                            |
|                                                                                                                                                | Total                                                                                                                                          | 440.7                                                                                                                                          | 459.8                                                                                                                                          | 473.0                                                                                                                                          |

(As per NREGASoft)