Empowering Women Through Anganwadi Services: An Analytical Study of the Socio-Economic Status of Anganwadi Workers in India

Naresh Kumar; Ran Vir Singh

doi:10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i03.78362

Empowering Women Through Anganwadi Services: An Analytical Study of the Socio-Economic Status of Anganwadi Workers in India

Author(s)	Mr. Naresh Kumar, Prof. Ran Vir Singh
Country	India
Abstract	Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) are women volunteers at the frontline of India's Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), providing nutrition and childcare support to children (0–6 years) and pregnant or lactating mothers. This study examines how Anganwadi Services contribute to women's empowerment by analyzing the socio-economic status of AWWs, with a specific focus on Uttar Pradesh. Drawing on secondary data from official sources — including the Ministry of Women & Child Development (MWCD), National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), NITI Aayog evaluations, Press Information Bureau, and Parliamentary Question-and-Answer records — as well as peer-reviewed academic studies (2019–2024), the study investigates key dimensions: wages, education, job satisfaction, training, empowerment indicators, working conditions, and community recognition. Nationally, approximately 13.97 lakh Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) are operational, staffed by 13.48 lakh AWWs. In Uttar Pradesh alone, 1,89,796 AWCs are sanctioned (Ministry of Women & Child Development [MWCD], 2023a). Findings reveal that AWWs generally possess at least secondary-level education and serve approximately 73 beneficiaries per worker (Gopalakrishnan et al., 2025). Yet their honorarium remains critically low — ₹4,500 per month nationally, and approximately ₹6,000 in Uttar Pradesh including state top-ups (Pramanick, 2025). While 92% of AWWs report high work motivation, dissatisfaction with pay is near-universal. Approximately half have received comprehensive formal training, and many AWCs lack basic infrastructure. Community and legal recognition of AWWs is improving — notably, the Supreme Court (2022) ruled AWWs are entitled to gratuity as frontline women workers. The study concludes that enhancing AWW remuneration, formalizing their employment status, systematically expanding training, and improving workplace infrastructure would simultaneously strengthen women's empowerment and ICDS effectiveness. Policy recommendations include aligning honoraria with statutory minimum wages, establishing clear career pathways, and ensuring minimum infrastructure standards at all AWCs.
Keywords	Anganwadi Services, Anganwadi Workers, Women Empowerment, Socio-Economic Status, Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS)
Field	Sociology > Health
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 3, May-June 2026
Published On	2026-05-14
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i03.78362

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Empowering Women Through Anganwadi Services: An Analytical Study of the Socio-Economic Status of Anganwadi Workers in India

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