In pursuit of encompassing the maximum number of the female workforce in the implementation of schemes under MGNREGA, the is providing training to Women labourers to work as female mates at the worksites. To ensure that unskilled women labourers become skilled/semi-skilled and get guaranteed 100 days of work under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural EMPLOYMENT Guarantee Act, unskilled women labourers are being trained to work as female mates on the MGNREGA worksite. Also, to maximize the number of participants the government has directed officials to ensure that 50% of total mates trained and employed under MGNREGA are female.
As per the guidelines issued by the state government, every mate being selected for the training will be given free training by the officials at the block level, which includes, Block Programme Manager, Junior Engineer, Gram Rojgar Sewaks, members of the cluster facilitation team and qualified members from state resource team. During the three day training period, these mates are being trained about the HISTORY of MGNREGA & labour rights, worksite management, minimum facilities required at the worksite, job cards, payment process, technical training to use measuring tapes, work calculation, daily work progress monitoring, preparation of daily attendance report, muster roll management and other technical aspects.
A large number of the MGNREGA workforce in Jharkhand includes women from rural areas of Jharkhand. These women are less aware of their rights at the workplace and are hesitant to speak up. To ensure that the rights of every labourer are safeguarded, women mates have been trained about the required facilities at the workplace such as; clean drinking water facility, shed, creche facility for women, medical kit and equipment required for the better implementation of the scheme. If any of these facilities are not available at the worksite, the female mate is responsible to inform the Block programme manager or nearest higher authority about the requirement.