India imposed one of the strictest lockdowns to contain COVID-19, this brought all non-essential economic activities to a standstill. This was an unprecedented economic and health shock that affected the entire population, but the worst affected were the informal migrant workers who lived hand to mouth. Millions of them fled back to their native places seeking refuge from the economic uncertainties created by the sudden lockdown. However, this reverse migration resulted in an increased burden on rural economies in multiple ways. This chapter discusses the role played by rural social protection policies, particularly the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and the Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan (GKRA), in easing the burden on the labor market, with a focus on the provisions of these schemes on female labor force participation.