*Assistant Professor, MES College, Asmabi
**Associate Professor in Commerce & Research Guide, Department Post Graduate and Research Department of Commerce, St. Peter's College, Kolenchery. Ernakulam, Dist., Kerala-682 311, India
Government of India enacted a national scheme called National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) in 2005, re-named as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) on 2nd October 2009. It is a woman friendly and poverty alleviation programme for securing the livelihood security for the rural people by guaranteeing 100 days of employment in a financial year to a rural household whose adult member volunteers to do unskilled manual work. (MGNREG Act 2005).
The proposed research work attempts to study the factors that motivated women to join MGNREGP. The respondents of the study were the MGNREGP workers in Malappuram district. The data were suitably classified and analyzed based on the objective of the study. Analysis was done via statistical software 16.0. Statistical tools like percentages, t-test and Friedman repeated measures analysis of variance on ranks have been applied for analysing the data.
The most important reason for seeking employment under MGNREGP was ‘unemployment’. ‘Minimum wages’ was the most important motivating factor for women workers to join the scheme, followed by ‘Timely Wages’, ‘Avoidance of contractors’ and ‘No need for specific skill’. The least important factor was ‘Wage through bank account’, ‘Work within 5 k.m’, ‘No age limit’ and ‘Work-site facilities’.
‘Minimum wages’ was the most important motivating factor for women workers to join the scheme. The least important factor was ‘Work-site facilities’.
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme, Motivational factors, Poverty, Unemployment, Social backwardness
