vol. 11 issue 05, may- 2021

International Journal of Research in Economics and Social Sciences(IJRESS) Available online at: http://euroasiapub.org Vol. 11 Issue 07, July- 2021 ISSN: 2249-7382 | Impact Factor: 8.018|

(An open access scholarly, peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary, monthly, and fully refereed journal.)

International Journal of Research in Economics & Social Sciences

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14

Paper Tiger Approach of Empowerment: Case study of two villages of Bhojpur District

Dr Neha

Department of Political Science

Satyawati College (M)

Delhi University

Introduction

Empowerment and the distribution of wages in the light of gender sensitivity are the

commonly encountered concepts. The social protection programme (MGNREGA) aims to

address the vulnerability existing among rural poor in general and women in particular. The

external shocks comprise of economic, social, political, cultural, and environmental threats

and the inability to tackle such challenges have posed intimidating remarks on the

empowerment aspect of the programme. MGNREGA has been construed timely as a two

pronged strategy intended to alleviate the ill effects of external shocks and enable irrespective

of gender per se.

The case study of the two villages namely Suhiya and Sonki in the Bhojpur district of Bihar

intends to study the implementation of MGNREGA and its implication on the lives and

livelihood of rural women in particular. Women constitute the most vulnerable section of the

society with patriarchal mindset. They have always been restricted from stepping out of the

household. The public sphere has remained confined to male members of society. The voices

and opinion of women have not been acknowledged. But what adds to the enigma in the

prevalent scenario in rural milieu is the ever rising quest to free her from the shackles of

dependence and realize the worth of being. The onset of MGNREGA work for rural unskilled

manual labour with an assurance of 33% participation of women in the allotted work

generated hope and enthusiasm among them. The basic information like purpose of the

programme, nature of the work offered at worksites, wages distribution, health care facilities,

and education and its impact were gathered during the field work which were arranged later

based upon the primary research questions. Before the implementation of MGNREGA,

efforts were made in the past to alleviate poverty and unemployment, but the welfare centric

approach did not yield the desired consequences. Earlier programmes that were initiated with

the stated objectives lacked the concerted effort to address the root cause of prevalent

situations. They basically provided palliative measures than substantive measures. The

passage of MGNREGA in 2005not only provided legal entitlement to work and fair

distribution of wages but it also addressed the long term challenge of poverty and deprivation

of one gender at the cost of the other.

At the outset of this chapter a brief introduction of the geographical setting has been made.

Data gathered during the field work based on the parameters, namely wages, health and

education, and migration have been presented with the help of graphs, diagrams and pie

International Journal of Research in Economics and Social Sciences(IJRESS) Available online at: http://euroasiapub.org Vol. 11 Issue 05, May- 2021 ISSN: 2249-7382 | Impact Factor: 8.018|




15

chart. The pictures of MGNREGA sites and beneficiaries of the villages have also been

incorporated in the chapter to provide a realistic touch.

Since the nature of the work involved under MGNREGA is characteristically unskilled, non-

agricultural so the study became more challenging. The investigative research was conducted

in the agricultural intensive fertile plain of Bihar. This was quite apparent that the informal

work of asset creation was constricted to the fringes in the lean season when labourers had

limited or insubstantial recourse to support their livelihood.

The river Ganga cuts across the fertile plain marking propitious condition for intensive

farming. The surplus monsoon leaves little scope for employment diversion. However in the

lean season considerable migration of male is recorded leaving the hapless women at home to

pursue informal work and earn additional income to ease the burden for short time. The

migration factor is basically a driving force for making MGNREGA more gender sensitive in

nature. Migration is observed more as a survival strategy rather than an alternative in rural

milieu. The unorganized sector is spurred with informal labourers.

The immobility of women in search of livelihood opportunities is a social and cultural

impediment that is assigned in the name of gender role and its value. This further challenge

the capacity building and social and economic justice in the process. MGNREGA originally

did not target the empowerment of women. However, provisions like priority for women in

the ratio of 1:3 of the total workers (Schedule II(6)); equal wages for men and women

(Schedule II (34)); and crèches for the children of women workers (Schedule II (28))1 were

proposed in the Act, later with the aim to provide social and economic benefits to women

from the scheme. Therefore, the women's participation in the MGNREGA work is a welcome

change. It has triggered a chain reaction as the social and economic well being of women has

led to her overall empowerment in other spheres of life. The turn of events specifically with

respect to gender and wage distribution is notable and encouraging.

For carrying out the case study in Bhojpur district of Bihar (Suhiya and Sonki village) in the

light of the distribution of wages to women, the research work relied on unstructured, semi-

structured and structured interviews based upon the socio-economic background of the

entrenched group. The margins of the economy played a pivotal role in deciding their way of

life. While conducting the unstructured interviews and seeking opinion of women viz.,

appended and non-appended to MGNREGA helped in generalizing the structure of the

chapter. The set of questionnaire was informal pertaining to household life, which in no way

seemed interventionist or to the disdain or contempt of the norms and values of the villages.

It merely aimed to leverage the confidence of the women so that they unhesitatingly

cooperate and communicate without any hesitation about the MGNREGA work in particular.

This set of enquiry primarily made an attempt to unravel the challenges and claims posed

1 Government of India (2005). National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, No. 42 of 2005, Gazette of India, extra ordinary Part-II.

Section 1, No. 48, New Delhi. pp. 10-16





16

widely. The semi-structured and structured interviews however, later demystified the

subjective dilemma of the research.

1.1 About the profile:

1.1.1 Map of Bihar and Shahpur Block in Bhojpur District.

(a) Map of Bihar (b) Map of Shahpur block

Source: http://www.mapsofindia.com/maps/bihar/districts/bjojpur.htm on 15.09.2016

Bhojpur is one of the thirty-eight districts of Bihar, with Arah as its administrative

headquarters. NH-30 and NH-84 are the major lifeline connecting it with other parts of the

State. The three subdivisions of Bhojpur district are: Ara Sadar, Jagdishpur and Piro. Bhojpur

is one of the most backward districts in Bihar. River Son and Ganga are the major river

flowing into the district and are a source of irrigation. Bhojpur district has both irrigated and

non-irrigated areas. The prime focus of the Block Development Authorities in the district is

to improve productivity and increase the cultivable land. The district has widespread

agriculture. Bhojpur district lacks in mineral resources. Sand from the River Son is the only

mineral product in the district. Koilwar is the sand collecting centre. Bhojpur district has few

agro based industries along with small and cottage industries. Industrialization in the district

is badly impeded due to the shortage of power supply. According to the 2011 Census Report,

Bhojpur district has a population density of 1,136 people per square kilometer. The

population growth rate of the district is 21.27%. The district has a sex ratio of 900 females

over 1000 males. The literacy rate is 72.79%. Bhojpuri is the local dialect and also a means of

communication.

Bhojpur district was selected using the purposive sampling method. It has eighty-six villages;

with Shahpur Panchayat as the main unit. This Panchayat has a total population of 17,767

people. From among the eighty-six villages, two villages namely Suhiya and Sonki were also

selected based on the lottery method to avoid biases. These villages were easily accessible

from the administrative division of Shahpur Block. The Sonki village has a total population

of 1314 people. The number of males is 654 and that of females is 660.2 Sonki is a medium

sized village comprising of 157 families. The number of children in the age group of 0-6

years is 220 i.e. 16.74% of the total population. The sex ratio of Sonki village is 1009 which

is higher than that of Bihar state which has a sex ratio of 918. However, the child sex ratio of

the village is 880 which are lower than the average of 935 of the Bihar State. Here the

2 Population Census (2011) (Retrieved from http://censusindia.gov.in/) on 13.11.2016.

http://www.mapsofindia.com/maps/bihar/districts/bjojpur.htm

http://censusindia.gov.in/





17

literacy rate is 72.39%, which is comparatively higher than that of Bihar with 61.80%.The

literacy rate of women is 59.96% and that of men is 85.29%. This indicates that gender parity

is still lagging behind. As per the Indian Constitution, the village is administered by the

Sarpanch (Head of the village) who is an elected representative of the village.

Table No. 1.1.2: Categories of workers

Category of

Workers

Male Female Total

Marginal worker 137 14 151

Main worker - - 164

Total Worker 266 49 315 Source: Census Report 2011(http://www.census2011.co.in/data/subdistrict/1421-shahpur-bhojpur-bihar.html)

The above data is as per the Census Report of 2011. This indicates that female workers are

not active participants at the work place. There are no schedule caste and schedule tribe

population in the village. 52.06% of the worker describe their work as main work

(employment or earning more than 6 months) while 47.94% were involved in marginal

activities providing livelihood for less than 6 months. According to the Census Report 2011,

out of the 315 workers engaged in the main work, 14 were cultivated (owners or co-owner)

while 40 constituted agricultural labourers. MGNREGA can be effective in addressing the

livelihood issues of work seekers engaged in marginal activities. This means that the ratio of

agricultural labourers and cultivators both owners and co-owners in the total worker category

is quite low. It indicates that poverty and unemployment is a glaring threat and

mainstreaming of gender in such a backdrop appears doubtful.

In Suhiya village, there were 848 families. Total population of the village is 6550, with 3469

male members and 3081 female members.3 Here the number of children in the age group of

0-6 years is 1117 that constitutes 17.05% of the population. The sex ratio is 888 which are

lower than the average of Bihar with 918. However the child sex ratio is 946 which are higher

than Bihar's average of 935. The literacy rate is higher compared to Bihar. In 2011 the

literacy rate was 69%, which is marginally above Bihar's average of 61.80%. This village is

also administered by a sarpanch who is an elected representative.

Table No.1.1.3: Categories of workers

Category of workers Male Female Total

Main Worker - - 790

Marginal Worker 1039 605 1644

Total workers 1656 778 2434

Source: Census Report 2011(http://www.census2011.co.in/data/subdistrict/1421-shahpur-

bhojpur-bihar.html )on 27.07.2014

3 Ibid. (2011). Census Report 2011.

http://www.census2011.co.in/data/subdistrict/1421-shahpur-bhojpur-bihar.html

http://www.census2011.co.in/data/subdistrict/1421-shahpur-bhojpur-bihar.html





18

The data show that marginal workers constitute 67.54%, i.e., they are not skilled. Here

women also participate in the assigned projects. The schedule caste population was present.

They constituted 10.29% of the total population of the village. The village currently does not

have any schedule tribe population. In other words the village is marked with abject poverty

and unemployment. The notion of social justice and capacity building has not been taken into

consideration.

In the backdrop of the stated facts, the research was conducted. The total number of female

beneficiaries was 50. The household and beneficiaries were selected based upon’ ith

method’

i.e. systematic sampling from each the village. The data was gathered from Suhiya and Sonki

villages. Since, Suhiya village had 10.29% of the total population as a schedule caste

population, so the demand for manual labor was high among them, but it was not desirable

among upper caste in general and women in particular as they enjoyed limited mobility

outside the household.

In Suhiya village the number of female beneficiaries was 50 who had actually participated in

the MGNREGA work. The process of selection was same as the first village. The issue of

gendering MGNREGA and the distribution of wages were the main focus. The following pie

chart depicts the level of participation in the research survey who was a beneficiary of the

scheme.

Figure 1.1.4: PERCENT OF BENEFICIARIES

47%

15%

7.50%

31%Beneficiary Women

Non Beneficiary Women

Beneficiary Men

Non Beneficiary Men

Source: field work on 27.07.2014

After limiting the study to these beneficiaries, the case study progressed further. In the

beginning unstructured interviews were conducted. The people were well acquainted with me

as I had spent 3 ½ month in the village. I had categorized the question based on set

parameters of age, sex, education, and income earning of each household.4 Women in the age

group of 18-25 were enthusiastic in sharing their experiences. However, elders in the age

group of 60 and above were reluctant. On realizing the nature of the inquiry as benign, they

began to take an interest and expressed their opinion.

4 A household is a group of persons normally living together and taking food from a common kitchen.





19

Table No. 4.1.5: Women workers' access to minimum wages and days of work.

Percent of

female

getting full

min. wages.

District Village Statutory

minimum

wages (Rs./

Day)

Percentage

women aware

minimum wages

(Rs./ Day)

Avg. wage

Paid to

women

under

MGNREGA

(Rs./ Day)

Bhojpur Sonki 144 64 141

Suhiya 138 79 136

Source: Field work on 23.03.2013

1.2 Decision Making, migration and the worksite facilities.

Figure 1.2.1: Percent of sample women who took their own decision regarding income

and expenditure on health and education of children post MGNREGA implementation

52.50%

47.50%

Women who make their own desision

Women who don't make their decision

Source: Field work on 25.03.2013

Table No. 1.2.2: Percent of sample women who stated that male members of their

household had migrated in the lean season in search of livelihood:

Age Percent of respondents (who stated that males

had migrated)

18-25 20%

25-40 30%

40-60 30%

60-80 10%

Source: field survey on 25.03.2013





20

The above table depicts that migration is still a prevalent threat not only in rural milieu, but

also a challenge for the urban setup where it adds up to disguised unemployment and the rise

in poverty level disrupting development. The trend of migration was negligible among

women and their registered participation in the informal labor task. Further, one can conclude

that the financial inclusion among women respondents was high and appreciable.

Based upon above inquiries pertaining to the women beneficiaries access to minimum wages

and implementation of MGNREGA and the percent of women in different age group who

stated that male members of the households have migrated, the research basically aimed to

look for the reasons and justification of the following questions:-

1. Does MGNREGA provide 33% wage employment to women in both the villages?

2. What could be the possible social, cultural and economic changes that contributed

positively in registering participation of women? What made male members to shatter their

patriarchal mindset? Was health a matter more of a concern among male or had they migrated

in search of better opportunities?

3. Who owned the bank account of the household? Was it registered in the name of the

female beneficiaries of the household? What it meant to be financially included in the

workforce?

4. How the earned wages contributed in bringing seen and unseen changes not only in

the lives of women but also at the level of the household and the society? How do they use

the earned wages? How has it helped them to plan their present and future?

The research survey helped in addressing these queries. The women beneficiaries in

particular and other respondents who were aware but did not participate in the MGNREGA

work responded to the questions. In Sonki village, the field analysis precisely points that

women of the villages generally avoid working out other than on their farm land as they

mostly belonged to the high caste category. But women belonging to low income group took

up MGNREGA work only to add income for daily expense of the household particularly in

the lean season. Among the 50 female beneficiaries, 20 said that women not only take up the

allotted work, but also demand work as it is now a legal entitlement meant to alleviate the

rural poverty complemented with hundred days of manual unskilled work to every adult of

the household who is willing to work. It has not only registered the participation of women

beyond 33%, but also has helped them to break the social and cultural norms attached to the

gender. In other words, the patriarchal mindset has been challenged the mainstreaming of

gender in the process of capacity building and realization of empowerment has been

registered. The same responses were reiterated by the 26 women beneficiaries of the Suhiya

Village. Those women who were not satisfied with the present record of participation rate

attributed the reason the nature of work that required more physical labor.

During the research survey, the beneficiaries on responding to various unstructured

questionnaires agreed to the social, economic and cultural impediments prevalent in the





21

patriarchal society. MGNREGA registered a limited participation of women as per the

official record collected from the DDC office. The rate of participation among the selected

beneficiaries and respondents were high owing to the migration factor. The males of the

village had migrated to urban centres for better livelihood. Those male members who stayed

back, but did not participate due to bad health had allowed the women of the household to

participate and earn wages. Generally, women participants of such household did not

command autonomy in true sense as the decision with respect to the spending of the wages

were primarily decided by their male counterparts. One thing notable in Suhiya village was

that migration especially in the age group of 25-45 was quite high and generally migration

was made to the Middle East Women of such households refrained from taking up wage

employment under mgnrega.

Among the 50 beneficiarie in Sonki village 28 women had the bank account in their own

name while others had joint account where both the gender of the household had their say. In

Suhiya village, out of the 50 beneficiaries 36 women owned the bank account. This reflected

the narrowing of the gender gap and rising financial inclusion among women. This not only

ensured their social and economic wellbeing, but also indicated in the empowerment process.

The financial inclusion had generated the idea of equality and social justice meted to the most

vulnerable section of the society.

The opportunity to work and earn wages without discrimination not only made the women

assertive in different spheres of life, but even granted them freedom to spend the wages

according to their set priorities. They were no longer dependent on male partners to decide

things for them. They also saved some money for the future. They not only got empowered

but also secured the coming generation by imparting skill and education. Such social and

economic drive initiated by the state will have a positive impact not only at household level

but also at the societal level as programmes like MGNREGA will not be demanded further.

Table No. 1.2.3: Number of beneficiaries who stated that the following facilities were

available at work sites:-

Facilities Available Not Available

Suhiya Sonki Suhiya Sonki

Drinking water 35 40 15 10

First Aid 23 32 27 18

Crèche 18 42 19 08

Toilets 31 42 19 08

Source: field work on 03.04.3013

In both the villages, participation rate of women was poor. They were confined to the chores

of the household and were not expected to earn bread for the family. They were quite

ignorant of their rights. A big impasse between the official record, the Census Report 2011





22

and the gathered data was invariably noted. The enquiry also involved questions pertaining to

daily problems like water, health, and food subsidy etc.

One of the female beneficiaries Soni Devi (35 years), a teacher at Anganwadi, in Suhiya

Village narrated her experience. She mentioned that people in the villages were ignorant as

the Anganwadi was not operational before 2011. She was daughter-in-law in village and she

was not aware of the situations and conditions much. She said that Anganwadi mostly suffers

from insufficient funds and non implementation of the mid day meal scheme in the school. It

was a promise that was never met.

Following the unstructured questionnaire I gathered information regarding other social and

economic benefits provided by the State to curb poverty. Hence in the later part of the

research, I asked them about their BPL (Below Poverty Line)5 card and the benefits availed

by them. Women reacted emotionally. Women in Suhiya village were mostly from upper

caste and were denied the BPL card irrespective of their financial status. Hence they had no

access to the facilities attached to the BPL card. Out of 50 women beneficiaries, 34 belonged

to low income group and were better placed than the rest as they were able to tap benefits

provided by the Government. They used their BPL card to get food grain and cereals at

subsidized rate i.e. rice for Rs. 2 per kg and wheat for Rs. 3 per kg. These beneficiaries

mentioned that BPL scheme had benefitted them marginally but had not empowered them

socially and economically. It can be analyzed based on field observations and gathered data

that the government schemes and programmes may yield results if and only if complemented

with the reforms in the sociocultural and economic structure of the village which is

predominantly patriarchal.

However, in Sonki village, there were no schedule caste and schedule tribe population unlike

the Suhiya village. Women of this village constituted a very nominal percent of the working

population. Here also 50 women beneficiaries were considered. People in this village shared

a common belief system and a behavioral pattern. The caste factor was irrelevant here.

MGNREGA was implemented here since 2006. The participation of women was structured

as per caste i.e. women in general were mostly deprived of active participation.

The unstructured and semi-structured interviews of the participants (beneficiaries) and

government officials helped further in making the research work structured and profound.

Few questions were asked of the participants regarding the work allocation. It was even

inquired as to how MGNERGA impacted their lives. The Government officials mentioned

about the benefits and challenges of the MGNREGA in both the villages.

Later set of questionnaire was modeled with the focus on the case study. Research enquiry

was not only confined to selected women beneficiaries, but also to the focused group that

constituted the other respondents. Each of the five groups had ten members. Questions were

5 Below Poverty Line is the economic benchmark and poverty threshold used by GOI to indicate economic disadvantage.





23

raised in a structured manner pertaining to the minimum wages, number of women workers at

sites, and the nature of work, etc. The minute details were noted which helped in the

realization of this thesis work. Women beneficiaries and the other respondents mentioned that

MGNREGA has provided relief to the household in the lean seasons. Gram Sabha is not

spreading awareness by disseminating information, i.e. not working in the desired manner as

specified in the Act. In other words, in the absence of the prescribed meetings the task of

social audit is hampered and it is acting more as a challenge for women empowerment and

realization of social justice.

Here, the Sarpanch is a woman but she has not redressed the aggrieved section of women as

her task is performed by her brother-in-law. He acts on her behalf in the Gram Sabha. The

complaints are never entertained. The participation of women in general has not been realized

in these two villages in true sense. However the selected beneficiaries share different

experiences and results as they were active participants in the work assigned under

MGNREGA.

The official data is misleading when seen in the light of field experience. I spoke to the ex-

Panchayat head about the programme implementation. He was very reluctant in answering

beyond the set structured questions, but on realizing that my queries were not part of any

official inquiry, he began to interact amicably. He said, "He is also a member of this village

and understood the problems at hand. Officers and members at the Block level and Panchayat

level do not disclose information about the fund released from the State authority to generate

work/ projects for creation of assets and infrastructure in the villages. This information is

made public only when an official inquiry takes place. The Block and Panchayat begin to

work in coordination for a short period in the name of development giving false hopes. He

objected to such moves so he was facing the consequences of losing the headmanship of the

village."

I knew the limitations of structured interviews it could have a biased approach. I did not rely

entirely on his statements as it could have been motivated by the personal vendetta. I pursued

further and looked at the muster roll6. The muster roll available at the Ministry of Rural

Development of Bihar (Shahpur Block, Suhiya Panchayat) website helped me in verifying the

first hand data. It revealed that the participation rate of women was below average and the

guarantee of hundred day employment per household in a year was breached upon. This

confirmed the disheartening scenario explained by the beneficiaries in particular. Though the

rate of participation of women was low but was based on equitable distribution of wages.

This alludes at the empowerment of women in all dimensions, i.e. social, economic, cultural

and humanitarian.

6 Muster rolls is a detailed copy of participants details-like caste, gender, age head of the household, job card number, date of issue

category along with in name of the participants. (Retrieved from http://nrega.nic.in/musterverf.htm) on 11.11.2016

http://nrega.nic.in/musterverf.htm





24

One of the Panchayat members, Manak Dev (47 years) said people working under

MGNREGA are being offered all facilities and entitlement that is within the reach of the

Panchayat. MGNREGA is a boon for not only unskilled male workers, but even the female

workers. It has improved the social and economic stature of women. Now their voices are

also considered in decision making. There is a general rise in awareness about health issues,

and education of children etc.

At the Block level, I talked to the DDO (District Development Officer) and Project Officers,

connected with the programme either directly or indirectly. They were not cooperative in

giving personal opinions. However, when I convinced them on the pretext of being a

researcher, they began to share experiences and views only on the condition of anonymity.

The BDO (Block Development Officer) gave me the copy of the government file of the

Shahpur Block. The official data of the villages were accessible at nrega.nic.in. Apart from

answering the structured questionnaire, they also talked about their experiences informally,

which was not a part of the questionnaire. BDO for instance mentioned that the two villages

i.e. Sonki and Suhiya are vulnerable as they suffer from unforeseen calamities both natural

and man-made. Flood occurs every year and disrupts the MGNREGA project. The Block and

Panchayat work in coordination and exchange information and report periodically at the

district level. The feedback from various levels i.e. block, Panchayat and the selected

beneficiaries helped further inform the links.

1.3 Main source of livelihood

In order to analyze the gendering of MGNREGA and the distribution of wages in both the

villages I looked at the main source of livelihood. For the convenience of conducting the case

studies, the labor class was categorized into two namely:

a) Farm Labor

b) Non- farm labor

Both the categories included the unskilled manual labor. While conducting the research, I

realized that the source of livelihood and its implication in the lives of women primarily

determined the household potentials to sustain since migration is a common trend among

male workers in search of better livelihood and opportunities while the household is managed

by the women. The study will be probing the two categories in both the villages focusing on

women beneficiaries and other respondents in particular.

(a) Farm Labor: In Suhiya village, among the 50 female beneficiaries, 14 constituted the

farm labor force.7 It means women farm labor force constituted a mere 28% of the total

female beneficiaries. However, in Sonki village among the 50 beneficiaries and respondents,

7 A person who works on another person's land for wages in money, kind or share is regarded as farm labour force or agricultural

labourer.





25

08 were employed as farm laborers. It simply implies that 16% were women farm laborers.

This indicates the pity condition of women who are not able to make use of the opportunities

in the absence of skilled required. The farm labor forces are basically semi-skilled and skilled

force that contributes efficiently.

In Suhiya Panchayat with the two villages Suhiya and Sonki, the beneficiaries were selected

with the set objectives of the research. I talked to beneficiaries, particularly to draw a link

between their general condition and the distribution of wages. One of the beneficiaries

Sumita Devi (41 years) elucidated that most of the women are unskilled in the villages. So,

they cannot work as farm laborers. However the semi-skilled and skilled women labor forces

earn Rs. 180 to Rs. 200 per day depending upon the season. She is able to bargain because of

her skills. But in the lean season when work is not available in the field, then she is free to

work on MGNREGA site. Here, she earns a daily wage of Rs. 162 but the work allotted

requires more strength as it involves unskilled manual labor. This adds extra to her wallet and

makes her socially and economically empowered as the payment of wages in the bank

account makes her a proud earner.

In both the villages, women have suffered more than benefitted. While performing the farm

labor, women are paid in cash and kind. But they are contented to the extent that they are

marginally well off than most of them who are poverty stricken. The pragmatic challenges

posed here are the health issues. Women have to stay at home when family member or

children are unwell. In both the villages, it was quite apparent that women were better suited

for MGNREGA work than anyone else in the household as it provided them the flexibility to

take up or drop a day's work. At the work sites, the availability of clean drinking water, shade

for relaxing, crèche for dependent children and first aid kit further incentivize the engagement

of women work force. Such arrangements are not there on the farm labor field which make

the other work sites non-conducive for women. The unskilled women actively participate in

the MGNREGA projects like construction and building of rural assets. As far as distribution

of wages is concerned, women are paid according to the minimum wage legislation. This

implies that they cannot be paid below the stipulated wage rate prevalent in the State. The

State pays according to its capacity. The payment of unemployment allowance, in case work

is not generated as per demand within 15 days, makes it more attractive than preceding

schemes. They are also paid extra incase the worksite lies beyond the radius of 5km from

their place. The above scenario of women work force emphasizes that the emancipation and

empowerment of women can only be realized when augmented with the imparting of

education and skill and spreading awareness about their rights and claims. This will have

long term impact in realization of gender equality and empowerment.

(b) Non-Farm Labor: Non-Farm laborers are basically non-skilled workforce. They

are exploited by land owners in the face of abject poverty and unemployment. So they often

migrate to town and cities in search of livelihood, leaving the women at home. They are

compelled by situations to lead their life in distress and misery. In Suhiya Village, out of the





26

50 female beneficiaries and other respondents, approximately 26 worked as non-farm

laborers. It means almost 52% of women participants constituted unskilled laborers. But the

tragedy lies in the fact that they do not undertake work on MGNREGA sites as it is

demeaning to upper caste women to do so.

The official record stated that women have been benefitted with the implementation of

MGNREGA. But such projections on paper need to be observed in reality. During the field

work I analyzed the condition of women based upon some general questions pertaining to the

head of the family, education of children, state of health and also how MGNREGA has

helped them in realizing the worth of being in making decisions at home and in public sphere.

This inquiry made the central question more apparent.

One of the Ward members during inquiry said that the people of the villages are unwilling to

work at the MGNREGA site as they have better bargaining power outside the village. At

MGNREGA site they are paid as per the stipulated wage rate of Rs. 162/day; while working

in the town or factory outside the village fetched them Rs. 180 Rs. 200/day. Therefore, the

demand for unskilled labor is not highly generated under the social protection programmes.

However, one of the respondents, Manju Kumari (31 years) said that job card was issued but

was later collected by the village head man's kin to be kept safely. On the day of inspection

by District Authority, the job cards were returned with some stamps and signed passbook.

The card holder's were paid a sum of Rs. 1000/- and were asked to respond positively before

the officials and on objections they were threatened of losing their future engagement in

MGNREGA work. This has made the programme more of a challenge and threat than a

promise for a better future.

Non-Farm women laborers are often denied work on the pretext that the nature of the job was

not suitable for them. Mukhiya (Anita Devi) backed by her henchmen offered the job to her

kiths and kins. The strenuous exercise involved from the entry level in the scheme to the

actual realization of its fruit, makes the Suhiya Panchayat and its two villages in the case

study more of a failure.

In other words the non-farm employment can be basically attributed with inadequate

opportunities in the farm sector and the high costs involved in the agricultural field. The rate

of participation of unskilled manual laborers in this sector is plummeting. MGNREGA

projects in these villages have spurred development as per the official record. But in reality

the nepotism and corruption are widespread and is practiced.8

The funds transacted by the State (for the projects at work sites) to villages via Panchayat are

not transferred on a regular basis and therefore work is not generated by Gram Panchayat.

This chapter presents a stark contrast to the case study of two villages (Rohai and Bhakhtari)

8 Retrieved from www.nrega.nic.in on 23.08.2016

http://www.nrega.nic.in/





27

in Arwal district of Bihar mentioned in the next chapter. It is very interesting to note that the

same State experiences the programme differently in the two districts and its mentioned

villages.

1.4 An assessment of Farm Labour and Non-Farm Labour particularly women in

Suhiya and Sonki villages:-

The above descriptions of farm and non farm labour force in general and those of women

labour in particular hints at the deplorable condition in the two villages. The taboo of

belonging to a high caste and adding the gender factor to it, makes the social protection

programme more of a farce and a distant dream. And the women from low income group who

manage to cross the chores of the household also face challenges arising from the nature of

work that involves rigorous work. The farm labor force requires the skilled and semi-skilled

labor force which is more of a hurdle for rural women who are naive. They take up job only

when their male counterpart migrates in search of livelihood to meet the daily expenses. They

look forward to work on the farm. But due to limited scope they shift to the non-farm labor,

which is basically non-skilled labor in nature. Here they are either underpaid or paid in kind.

They do not have bargaining power. However, when they take up MGNREGA work which

employs unskilled manual labour force, they are paid as per the stipulated minimum wage.

They get equal pay for equal work.

However the main challenge faced by women of these two villages is that they are denied

work by mukhiya when demand work, with an excuse that the fund has not been granted or

no works for women are available. The social audits are also not conducted regularly to

assess the projects on completion. This clearly indicates that the Act has not really acted to

the extent of acting firmly to empower women and make them capable enough to participate,

raise voices and make decisions in life. In short, it lacks the capacity building9 approach in

present time and hence making the empowerment aspect unachievable.

1.5 The official data vs. the gathered data at a glance:

The official data of Suhiya Panchayat in Shahpur block were noted down from the website of

the Ministry of Rural Developments, Government of India. In the Suhiya Village 1031 people

had been registered for the work. The data at hand showed the details of households. It

mentioned the name of the head of the household, caste, name of the applicant, gender, age,

date of receipt of application number and date of job card issued, and also the reasons if the

job card was denied. Out of 1031 applicants, 198 were women, i.e. women constituted a mere

19.09% of the total applicants. This indicates lower participation of females.

9 Specifically, capacity building encompasses the country’s human, scientific, technological, organizational, institutional and resource

capabilities.(Capacity Building-Agenda 21’s definition.Chapter 37, UNCED,1992) Retrieved from www.gdrc.org on 05.08.2016

http://www.gdrc.org/





28

The data collected during the field work were also categorized based on the same parameters,

but with fixed number of female beneficiaries and respondents. Among the 50 female

beneficiaries, only 24 women had applied for the MGNREGA work, i.e. only about 48%

women took MGNREGA work for employment.

According to the official data there were 363 applicants in Sonki Village for registration at

the work site of MGNREGA. The total number of female applicants was 67 which constitute

18.45%. And according to the data gathered on the field, the total number of female

beneficiaries was 50. Among them, 26 were women applicants who had registered demand

for work. It implies almost 52% were the registered participants. The above depictions can be

simplified through the following table.

Table No. 1.5.1: Number of participants for registration in 2013-2014

Data State : Bihar, District- Bhojpur, Block-Shahpur

Suhiya Village Sonki Village

Official

data

Male Female Total Male Female Total

833 198 1031 296 67 363

Gathered

Data

- 24 50 - 26 50

Source: Self interpretation on 17.04.2013

In the financial year 2013-2014 the muster roll receipt register maintained by the Gram

Panchayat mentioned the number of works or projects undertaken, the details of the financial

allocation made along with the date of issue and it also bears the name and designation and

the signature of the authorities; primarily the Panchayat Secretary. This data was released by

the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India. The manual unskilled work

undertaken in the Suhiya Panchayat included creation of Pokhara (Pond), plantation of trees

like neem, sal, building toilets, construction of roads. The MGNREGA project facilitated the

construction of toilets in the private lands of the households as well. This was done against

the job card number in both the villages. The recorded beneficiaries were eleven in number in

the Sonki Village. Here, no female applicant name was recorded. However, in Suhiya

Village, the total number of applicants for the above purpose was 85 and here 28 were

women applicants. The above descriptions are according to the data based upon the

Consolidated Report of Payment to the worker of Shahpur Block in Suhiya Panchayat. This

was published by the Ministry of Rural Development. The work code mentioned in the report

basically point towards the construction of toilets in the mentioned household.

The Social Audit Report was made available at the official site of the Ministry of Rural

Development for the financial year 2013-14. It mentioned the minute details like social audit





29

member details, the summary of the grievances and the details of verified documents. The

report card of the performance of MGNREGA in the villages also mentioned about the

unemployment allowances, the details of fund transactions, the total complaints registered

against the Gram Panchayat and the status of work undertaken for the financial year 2013-

2014. The Ministry also uploaded photos of work status of different phases, i.e. before the

start of the work, during the execution and of the completed tasks. Suhiya Panchayat recorded

a total of 171 images of different phases all together. This reflects the transparent nature of

the Act.

Table No. 1.5.2: The following bar diagram shows the development in different phases

represented through images:-

Title: Number of images uploaded for different phases in the financial year 2013-2014.

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

1 2 3 4 5

Before the start of work

During execution of work

Completed work

Total number of Photos in different work status

Source: www.nrega.nic.in on 17.05.2013

During the field work, the images were clicked irrespective of the stages of development. The

images have been incorporated in the appendices at the end of the thesis work. It presents the

real time experiences in both the villages.

The official data pertaining to the materials procured for the financial year 2014-2015 were

also made available on the site. It specified the work code, bill number and bill amount, bill

data unit price (in rupees), quantity and the date of payment of the Suhiya Panchayat. This

information helped in framing the structured questionnaire for the interviews of officials.

However, the unstructured and semi-structured questionnaire was also affected as it aimed at

engaging more households with women participants as the beneficiary. The procurement of

materials was for the construction of toilets at home.

The Labour Work Report for the financial year 2014-2015 was published on the Ministry of

Rural Development official website. It had the details of villages, name of the head of the

http://www.nrega.nic.in/





30

household and the number of days for the Suhiya Panchayat in general and the two villages in

particular.

It recorded the registration ID of 242 MGNREGA workers in Sonki Village and 635 workers

in Suhiya village. This information reveals that still the employing capacity has not increased

substantially.In Sonki village only a handful of women labour force were mentioned in the

data i.e. only 60 women were registered in the Labour Work Report published on the website

of the MORD, while Suhiya Village mentioned the registration of 301 women in the

MGNREGA work.

While introspecting the two categories of labour force during the case study revealed that

women suffer more as they are the most vulnerable and prone to the risks involved at the

workplace in the farm labor force where only a miniscule proportion of the total women

respondents were employed whereas in the non-farm labour, they constituted fairly high

proportion but suffered as they lacked bargaining power. But MGNREGA has raised hope

among them as it offers a stipulated wage rate without gender discrimination. The

Consolidated Report of Payment to Worker was furnished on the website of the MORD for

the Suhiya Panchayat for the financial years 2014-2015.

1.6 Implementation Lacunae

Field studies pointed out that the gendering MGNREGA and the distribution of wages in the

Bhojpur district (with the focus on Sonki and Suhiya Villages) of Bihar has not been

addressed substantially and the data available at the official website differ from the field data

gathered during the research work survey. Women are the vulnerable sections who are not

enrolled as expected because of social and cultural impediments. They are still compelled to

take up unskilled work at the non - farm sector or remain confined to the four walls of the

house. The performance of MGNREGA has not been up to the mark as the clause of 1/3rd

participation of women at the work sites have not been realized as reflected in the official

data. This shows that the mechanism involved at the grass root level i.e. Gram Panchayat still

needs to be revitalized. Capacity building approach in this context can help in restructuring

the laid norms and practices and will empower and emancipate women and their causes.

The active involvement of District Authority, Block Level Authority and the Panchayat along

with women of the villages can address the gaps and make institutional mechanism

operational. The capacity building of women will effectively mark qualitative and

quantitative differences. This social protection programme can be further realized by

strengthening the Panchayat through technical and manpower efficiency, periodically conduct

of social audit in the presence of all the participants, particularly women, ensuring wage

payment through banking correspondent model, and following the minimum wage

legislation.





31

There is no doubt that the dimensions of capacity building and gender issues has broadened

up with the registering of women applicants on the work sites. They are better off in the

social and economic domain than ever before. The gender gap has narrowed if not plugged

completely. This has triggered the way for capacity building by challenging the gendered

regime.

1.7 The Concluding Remark

The case studies of the Sonki and the Suhiya Villages of the Shahpur Block of the Bhojpur

district was challenging and at the same time interesting. Many mismatches were noticed

while making a comparative study of the official data and the gathered data. The gender gap

and biases were invariably recorded. Women being unskilled laborers were denied work by

the headman's kin based on excuses like non-availability of job that suits the women. During

the field work, the hurdles that were conspicuous were lack of health centers, lack of crèche

for the children of the working women, lack of real time social auditing, lack of drinking

water facilities, lack of toilets and the security issues, mismanagement of job cards, absence

of periodical Gram Sabha meetings, nepotism and mismanagement of muster rolls and lack of

co-ordination among the institutional structures. Women are the main bearer of the brunt of

these limitations.

In the Bhojpur districts, minutes of the meeting were uploaded for the financial year 2013-

2014 but the recorded minutes of the meeting of Shahpur block was only eleven. This points

that Shahpur block is still a neglected zone with 86 villages. The facts hint towards lack of

awareness and efficiency in conducting proper meetings. It simply reflects to the fact that not

even one meeting per village was held in the financial year 2013-2014. These challenges

have to be rectified so that women causes can be addressed appropriately.

vol. 11 issue 05, may- 2021

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