Journal Press India^®

Author Details ( * ) denotes Corresponding author

Self Help Groups (SHGs) have emerged as major agents of development and empowerment of weaker sections in countries of the Third World. In India, since the beginning of the Ninth Plan, most of the development programmes have been channelled through SHGs. There is a common perception that women who join SHGs not only become economically empowered but become powerful in many other ways as well. They gain a say in family matters and their social status is enhanced. In the present study, an attempt has been made to judge the extent to which SHGs contribute to the improvement of women awareness and overall development or empowerment of women. In this study, 15 SHGs under SGSY have been selected by applying stratified random sampling method in the Bankura District of West Bengal. The study concluded that the women empowerment is still in process at the moderate level in our study area.

Keywords

Microfinance, SHGs, Empowerment, Awareness, Decision Making

1. Amin, S & Pebley, A.R. (1994). Gender inequality within households: The impact of a women’s development programme in thirty six Bangladeshi villages. The Bangladesh Development Studies, xxii (2&3): 121-154.
2. Ashe, J. & Parrott, L. (2001). Impact Evaluation of PACT’S Women Empowerment programme in Nepal: a Saving and Literacy led alternative to Financial Institutional Building.  Cambridge, MA: Brandeis University.
3. Ashraf, N, Karlan D., & Yin, W. (2008). Female Empowerment: Impact of a Commitment Savings Product in the Philippines.
4. people.hbs.edu/nashraf/FemaleEmpowerment.pdf
5. Armendariz and Room N. (2008). Gender Empowerment in Microfinance. In Suresh Sundaresan (Ed.), In Microfinance: Emerging Trends and Challenges, New York: Edward Elgar Publishing.
6. Batliwala S. (1994). The Meaning of Women’s Empowerment: New Concepts from Action. In Gita Sen, Adrienne Germain and Lincoln C. Chen (Ed.), Population Policies Reconsidered: Health, empowerment and Right, Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
7. Banerjee, Duflo E., Glennerster R., and Kinnan C. (2010). The Miracle of Microfinance? Evidence from a Randomized Evaluation. http://ipl.econ.duke.edu/bread/abstract.php? Paper=278
8. Goetz, A.M., & Sengupta R. (1996). Gender, Power, and Control in Rural Credit Programs in Bangladesh. World Development, 24(1): 45-63.
9. Garikipati S. (2008). The Impact OF Lending to Women on Household Vulnerability and Women’s Empowerment: Evidence from India. World Development, 36(12): 2620-2642.
10. Hashemi, S, Sidney, R.S., & Ann, P.R. (1996). Rural Credit Programs and Women Empowerment in Bangladesh. World Development, 24(4): 635-653
11. Hunt, J. & Kasynathan, N. (2001). Pathways to Empowerment? Reflections on Microfinance and Transformation in Gender Relations in South Asia. Gender and Development, 9(1): 42-52.
12. Kumaran, K.P. (1997).  Self Help Groups – alternative of Institutional credit for the poor: A case study in Andhra Pradesh. Journal of Rural Development, 16(3): 515-530.
13. Kabeer, N. (1998). Money Can’t Buy Me Love? Re-evaluating Gender, Credit and Empowerment in Rural Bangladesh, IDS Discussion Paper No. 363, Institute of Development Studies, Brigthon.
14. Khandker S.R., Samad, H.A. & Khan, Z.R. (1998). Income and Employment Effects of Micro credit Programs: Village level Evidence from Bangladesh. The Journal of Development Studies, 35: 96-124.
15. Kar, S. (2014). Surveying Rural Economics: For Rural Development planning. Academic Enterprise, Kolkata.
16. Kar, S & Bhumali, A. (2014). Mainstreaming Indian Rural Economy and Policy. Abhijeet Publication, New Delhi.
17. Mayoux L (1997). The Magic Ingredient? Microfinance and Women’s Empowerment. A briefing paper prepared for Micro Credit Summit, Washington.
18. Manimekalai N. & Rajeswari, G. (2001). Nature and Performance of Informal Self-Help Groups – A Case From Tamil Nadu. Indian Journal of Agriculture Economic, 56(3), Jul-Sep: 453
19. Nirmala, V., Bhat, K. Sham  & Buvaneswari, P. (2004).  Journal of Rural Development. 23(2):203-215.
20. Otero, M. (1999). Bringing Development Back into Microfinance. Journal of Microfinance, 1(1):8-19.
21. Rahman, A. (1999). Micro-Credit Initiatives for Equitable and Sustainable Development: Who pays? World Development, 27(1):67-82.