How the rural employment guarantee scheme is a double-edged sword for women
The year Chanchal Kumari was born was 2002, the year of drought in Rajasthan. For two years, the country suffered from severe water shortages. There was no water to drink, no crops to plant, and cattle died. His family was on the brink of starvation. His father Raju Singh, a contract labourer, had to leave the city to find work outside the state. With livelihoods collapsing everywhere, demand for job creation programs has increased. Chan-chal's family also joined the movement. Chanchal is from the Rajamand region of southern Rajasthan, with a history of grassroots-led social mobilization. The district led a campaign for information and labor rights. This latter campaign culminated in the 2005 enactment of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Security Act, or MGNREGA (formerly known as the National Rural Employment Security Act). MGNREGA, the largest employment security program in the world, is employment driven. Mahatma Gandhi Guarantee Act. Guarantee scheme introduced in