Women’s socio-economic empowerment is a critical component of inclusive and sustainable development in India. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), with its legal assurance of wage employment and emphasis on women’s participation, has emerged as a significant policy intervention in this direction. The present study examines the role of MGNREGS in promoting the socio-economic empowerment of women in Prakasam District of Andhra Pradesh. The study is based on both primary and secondary data, collected through field surveys, structured questionnaires, and official records of MGNREGS implementation in the district. The analysis focuses on key dimensions of empowerment such as income security, employment opportunities, decision-making capacity, social status, financial inclusion. The findings reveal that MGNREGS has substantially increased women’s participation in the rural workforce, enhanced their access to independent income, and contributed to greater confidence and involvement in household and community-level decisions. However, the study also identifies challenges such as delayed wage payments, limited awareness of entitlements, and constraints in skill up gradation. The paper concludes that while MGNREGS has played a positive role in advancing socio-economic empowerment of women in Prakasam District, strengthening implementation mechanisms and addressing existing gaps can further enhance its impact