How Kudumbashree paved way for MGNREGS to change lives of women in Kerala

The Kudumbashree-MGNREGS link, by providing women with a sustained opportunity for work, has created a steady source of income for them

“I’m extremely sorry for being late. We had a long meeting today,” said K B Vasanthi, a 48-year-old ward member of Thalikulam block panchayat in Kerala’s Thrissur district, who is also a registered worker under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).

Vasanthi has continued to work under MGNREGS despite being an elected local-government representative, although not as much as before. “My husband has health issues and the money he earns from fishing hasn’t been great for a while. We had loans to pay and