Abstract: The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) has emerged as a significant rural development programme aimed at enhancing livelihood security and promoting gender equity. Rural employment programmes in India have played an important role in reducing poverty and providing livelihood support, particularly in drought-prone regions where agricultural income remains uncertain. In such conditions, MGNREGA provides employment opportunities at the village level and supports the participation of women in wage labour. The present study analyses the spatial patterns and determinants of women’s participation in MGNREGA in Solapur district. The study is based on primary field data collected through household surveys and secondary sources such as Census of India and reports of the Ministry of Rural Development. The methodology includes percentage analysis, index construction such as Participation Index and Rural Female Concentration Index (RFCI), and spatial classification at the taluka level. The findings reveal that women’s participation is spatially uneven, with higher levels in rural and drought-prone talukas such as Mohol (68.37%) and Solapur South (68.57%), and lower levels in urban-influenced regions such as Solapur North (41.78%). The study highlights that rural female concentration, economic vulnerability and agro-climatic conditions are the major determinants of participation. It emphasizes the need for region-specific planning and improved institutional mechanisms to enhance women’s participation in rural employment programmes.
Nikam et al. (Tue,) studied this question.