Abstract
Based on a primary survey carried out in 2009, 24 Parganas (North), West Bengal, India, this chapter tries to evaluate the effects of various policy interventions on the employment status of the rural women and income level and different family expenditures of corresponding households. The study considers the impact of two different policies: Sawarnajayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojana (SGSY) and Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). Applying propensity score matching, the study observes that SGSY participation had a positive significant impact on family food expenditure and employment status of rural women, whereas MGNREGA does not have any such impact. However, impact of these policies on household income and monthly savings and consumption expenditure shows that SGSY had positive but insignificant impact, but MGNREGA again did not register any such impact.
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Notes
- 1.
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/feature/ruralwomen/facts-figures.html. Accessed on 2.8.14.
- 2.
Source: Report of employment and unemployment survey 2009–2010, Government of India, Ministry of labour and Employment, Labour Bureau. Chandigarh. 2010, Statement 4.1. pp. 33. The data was based on usual principal status (UPS).
- 3.
Source: Report of employment and unemployment survey 2011–2012, Vol. 1 Government of India, Ministry of labour and Employment, Labour Bureau. Chandigarh., Table 4.6. pp. 41. The data was based on UPS.
- 4.
Source: Report of employment and unemployment survey 2012–2013., Vol 1 Government of India, Ministry of labour and Employment, Labour Bureau. Chandigarh., Table 4.6. pp. 38. The data was based on UPS.
- 5.
“Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act”, and abbreviated to MGNREGA, is an Indian labour law and social security measure that aims to guarantee the “right to work” and ensure livelihood security in rural areas by providing at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year to every household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work. http://nrega.nic.in/netnrega/home.aspx. Accessed on 7.10.14
- 6.
Swarnjaynti Gram Swarojgar Yojana (SGSY) that was initiated in 1999 was a credit-based self-employment programme of Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India for poverty alleviation. It aims at providing assistance to the below poverty level (BPL) rural poor for establishing micro-enterprises through bank credit and government subsidy to acquire an income-generating asset. Source: http://rural.nic.in/FAQ_SGSY.pdf. It also covered all aspects of self employments such as training, credit, technology, infrastructure and marketing and thus enabling the rural poor to take decisions on all issues concerning poverty eradication. Accessed on 7.10.14
- 7.
One block from each of the subdivisions is selected randomly and rest of the two is selected from the rest of all blocks by simple random sampling method.
- 8.
The descriptions of variables are given in the appendix.
- 9.
The results of covariates balancing are available with the author.
- 10.
In this case also treatment group consists of women who have joined MGNREGA and hold job cards and the control group includes women who are not under purview of any programme. Further, women who were group members as well as job card holders not included in the analysis.
- 11.
Results of the sensitivity analysis are with the author.
- 12.
It was observed that out of 106 group members who are included in propensity scoring analysis, 33 members received productive training and among them 12 members were employed at the time of survey.
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The author acknowledges the financial support provided by University Grants Commission, India for undertaking the primary household survey.
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Banerjee (Chaterjee), T. (2016). An Analysis on the Impact of Employment Generation Policies on Rural Women in West Bengal, India. In: Banerjee, S., Mukherjee, V., Haldar, S. (eds) Understanding Development. India Studies in Business and Economics. Springer, New Delhi. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-2455-6_12
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