Lucknow: Even as the political storm over the 131st Constitutional Amendment Bill proposing reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies continues, a significant trend has emerged from Uttar Pradesh, where women’s participation under the Centre’s flagship Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS) in the state has recorded its sharpest increase in recent years.Official data updated till April 22 show that women accounted for 47.65% of the 61,000 individuals from around 57,000 households who have availed employment under MNREGS in UP so far this year.The figure marks a sharp rise of nearly six percentage points over 2025-26, when women’s participation stood at 41.56%, and signals a significant turnaround after three consecutive years of decline. The scheme mandates at least 33% participation of women beneficiaries.Data indicate that women’s share under the scheme slipped from 42.26% in 2023-24 to 41.87% in 2024-25, and further to 41.56% in 2025-26. The latest numbers, however, suggest renewed traction in women’s engagement in rural employment generation.The MNREGS, which guarantees 100 days of wage employment annually to every rural household seeking work, is also expected to be rechristened soon as the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (VB-G-RAM-G).
The new Act increases the employment guarantee from 100 days to 125 days per year.The rise in women’s participation in Uttar Pradesh assumes much significance against the backdrop of an intense national debate on women’s representation in legislatures, highlighting how economic inclusion at the grassroots is moving ahead even as political consensus remains elusive.The increase in women beneficiaries under MNREGS in UP, however, remains lower than a majority of states in the country.
Even in the Hindi heartland, UP is behind Haryana (72.7%), Bihar (56.57%), Chhattisgarh (55.53%), Himachal Pradesh (76.82%), Jharkhand (49.92%), Rajasthan (61.59%) and Uttarakhand (64.55%). Only Madhya Pradesh (42.03%) has lower women’s participation than UP.Nationally, women’s participation is highest in states like Tamil Nadu (90.49%) and Kerala (90.02%). Even Punjab has 72.42% women beneficiaries, followed by Andhra Pradesh (65.88%).
The northern state of Jammu and Kashmir accounts for the lowest share of women beneficiaries at 35.19%.Experts said that wages have been a significant determining factor in attracting the rural workforce under the scheme. For FY 2025-26, the national average wage rate is roughly Rs 272 per day. As a matter of fact, UP and Uttarakhand have the lowest wage of Rs 252 under MNREGS in the country. Official sources in the rural development department said that wage revision under MNREGS is expected soon.Experts said that women joining the MNREGS workforce in record numbers despite low wages suggests two things: either alternative rural employment opportunities remain scarce or even modest cash income is valuable enough for women-led households.
