Moreover, some studies (Khera and Nayak 2009) have shown that this programme brought significant benefits for women, including improvement of their food security and ability to avoid hazardous work. The sample covers married women aged between 25 and 54 years, who live in rural areas, and whose household participated in NREGA programme. In 2009, 12 701 women of the sample live in households that participated in the programme and 56 333 did not.