self help group and women development - A Sociological perspective

Self-Help Group movement has emerged and experienced an explosive growth as an inclusive and socio-economic movement. Tamil Nadu has been in the forefront of the self-help movement in India. Alongside women’s own savings major initiative in providing SHG members with bank credit was introduced in 1992. SHG-bank linkages appeared important and added value to the lives of SHG members their families and to institutional credit in general. SHGs financed by banks had members belonging mainly to socially and economically disadvantaged sections. SHGs were promoted for disadvantaged women and the significant percentage of women from advantaged caste and wealthy backgrounds was a matter of concern. Access of finance by the poor and vulnerable groups is a prerequisite for poverty reduction and social cohesion. In fact providing access to finance is a form of empowerment of the vulnerable groups. Development and progress in every sphere of a nation is possible when it is considered that women are equal with men in society. Women can also take part in a nation’s development tasks as men but in male dominated society like India it is considered that women are inferior to men and therefore still women of our society are lagging behind in every sphere of human life. Moreover women contribute one half of the segment of population in India. So it cannot be afforded to keep them out of the mainstream. Women empowerment through microcredit by Self-help Group is a very new strategy taken by the government and policy makers. The rising influence of feminist writings on women’s deprivation and gender equality assist government and many non-government institutions to emphasise on targeting women in their microcredit programme through Selfhelp Group model. From the last three decades a number of countries including India identified micro credit through Self-help Group model as a major implementation on women’s ability to earn an income. Contents: Chapter I - Emergence of Self-Help Groups Chapter II - SHGs and Women Empowerment Chapter III - Methodological Issues Chapter IV - Socio- Economic Background of Self Help Groups Chapter V - Political Awareness and Self Help Groups Chapter VI - Problems Faced by Self Help Groups Chapter VII - Progress of the Self Help Groups through Membership Chapter VIII - Self Help Groups and Family Upliftment Chapter IX - Positive Impact of SHG Movement Photo Clippings References.