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Employment Programmes for the Poor and Female Empowerment: The Effect of NREGS on Gender-based Violence in India

Author

Listed:
  • Sofia Amaral
  • Siddhartha Bandyopadhyay
  • Rudra Sensarma

Abstract

The introduction of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) in India increased employment opportunities for the poor and even more so for poor women. In this article, we analyze the relationship between female labour participation and violence against women. Using district–time variation in the implementation of this anti-poverty programme, we estimate the effect of improved participation and access to the employment of women on gender-based violence. We find evidence that increased female labour participation following the NREGS has increased total gender-based violence. There have been increases in kidnappings, sexual harassments and domestic violence, while dowry deaths have decreased. JEL: J12, J24, J71

Suggested Citation

  • Sofia Amaral & Siddhartha Bandyopadhyay & Rudra Sensarma, 2015. "Employment Programmes for the Poor and Female Empowerment: The Effect of NREGS on Gender-based Violence in India," Journal of Interdisciplinary Economics, , vol. 27(2), pages 199-218, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:jinter:v:27:y:2015:i:2:p:199-218
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Anders Kjelsrud & Kristin Vikan Sjurgard, 2022. "Public Work and Private Violence," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 58(9), pages 1791-1806, September.
    2. Deininger,Klaus W. & Jin,Songqing & Nagarajan,Hari Krishnan & Singh,Sudhir K., 2020. "Political Reservation and Female Labor Force Participation in Rural India," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9350, The World Bank.
    3. Deininger, Klaus & Nagarajan, Hari K & Singh, Sudhir K, 2020. "Women's political leadership and economic empowerment: Evidence from public works in India," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(2), pages 277-291.
    4. Siddhartha Bandyopadhyay & Sanjukta Sarkar & Rudra Sensarma, 2021. "Does Access to Key Household Resources Help in Reducing Violence against Women?," Discussion Papers 21-09, Department of Economics, University of Birmingham.
    5. Perova,Elizaveta & Johnson,Erik Caldwell & Mannava,Aneesh & Reynolds,Sarah Anne & Teman,Alana Hinda, 2021. "Public Work Programs and Gender-Based Violence : Evidence from Lao PDR," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9691, The World Bank.
    6. Teresa Molina & Mari Tanaka, 2023. "Globalization and Female Empowerment: Evidence from Myanmar," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 71(2), pages 519-565.
    7. Deininger,Klaus W. & Nagarajan,Hari Krishnan & Singh,Sudhir K. & Deininger,Klaus W. & Nagarajan,Hari Krishnan & Singh,Sudhir K., 2016. "Short-term effects of India's employment guarantee program on labor markets and agricultural productivity," Policy Research Working Paper Series 7665, The World Bank.
    8. Marianne Bertrand & Bruno Crépon & Alicia Marguerie & Patrick Premand, 2021. "Do Workfare Programs Live Up to Their Promises? Experimental Evidence from Cote D’Ivoire," NBER Working Papers 28664, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    9. Sofia Amaral & Sonia Bhalotra & Nishith Prakash, 2019. "Gender, Crime and Punishment: Evidence from Women Police Stations in India," Boston University - Department of Economics - The Institute for Economic Development Working Papers Series dp-309, Boston University - Department of Economics.
    10. Selim Gulesci, 2017. "Forced migration and attitudes towards domestic violence: Evidence from Turkey," WIDER Working Paper Series 110, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    11. Sarma, Nayantara, 2022. "Domestic violence and workfare: An evaluation of India’s MGNREGS," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    12. Selim Gulesci, 2017. "Forced migration and attitudes towards domestic violence: Evidence from Turkey," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2017-110, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    13. Deininger, Klaus & Liu, Yanyan, 2019. "Heterogeneous welfare impacts of National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme: Evidence from Andhra Pradesh, India," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 98-111.
    14. Balasubramanian, Pooja & Ibanez, Marcela & Khan, Sarah & Sahoo, Soham, 2019. "Does female economic empowerment promote development?," PEGNet Policy Briefs 17/2019, PEGNet - Poverty Reduction, Equity and Growth Network, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    15. Siwan Anderson, 2024. "The Complexity of Female Empowerment in India," Studies in Microeconomics, , vol. 12(1), pages 74-92, April.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Gender-based violence; NREGS; employment; female employment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J71 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - Hiring and Firing

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