ROLE OF WOMEN SELF HELP GROUPS IN RURAL WOMEN SELF-RELIANCE: A SOCIOLOGICAL STUDY

Abstract

According to the famous economist Amartya Sen:
“Women’s empowerment will not only have a positive impact on the lives of women, but men and children will also benefit from it.”

Women have always held a revered position in Indian society and have played a vital role in the development of both society and civilization. Women constitute about half of India’s total population, and with nearly 68% of the population residing in rural areas, where the economy is primarily agriculture-based, the goal of universal development cannot be achieved without the development of women.

Despite this, a significant proportion of women remain socially and economically disadvantaged. An irony of the employment scenario in rural India is that women, who actively manage household chores, farming, animal husbandry, fuel collection, and cottage industry activities, are often neither economically evaluated nor classified as employed. Employment opportunities are indeed more abundant in villages, and the ratio of working women there is higher than in urban areas. However, the nature of employment is predominantly labor-intensive, wages are low, and women often lack education and skills. Furthermore, wage discrimination against women persists.

In this context, Self-Help Groups (SHGs) have emerged as an important tool for empowering women. SHGs play a significant role in protecting women’s rights, promoting self-reliance, and improving their social, economic, and political status. Presently, women’s SHGs have not only become transformative agents in rural India, fostering economic independence and social empowerment, but they have also become a powerful medium for political and social organization.

Women’s participation in rural development is often limited by socio-economic and cultural barriers that restrict their involvement in economic and community activities. SHGs have proven to be a grassroots initiative that organizes women collectively for mutual cooperation, financial inclusion, and entrepreneurship development. This concept was formally launched by NABARD in 1992 through the SHG-Bank Linkage Programme (SBLP) and has since become a cornerstone of rural development strategies in India.

The aim of this paper is to examine, based on primary and secondary data, how SHGs contribute to the self-reliance of rural women, with a focus on their economic, social, and political empowerment. The paper also reviews the policy framework supporting SHGs and highlights the challenges that hinder their effectiveness.

The research was conducted among 80 women from 8 self-help groups (Ganesh S.H.G., S.V.V. S.H.G., Jai Ma Kali S.H.G., Jai Bheem S.H.G., Jai Bajrangbali Ajivika S.H.G., Fulan S.H.G., and Tulshi S.H.G.) in the rural areas of the Bankati block, Basti district, Uttar Pradesh. Data was collected using a purposive sampling method, a type of non-probability sampling. Primary data sources included interview schedules, group discussions, and observation methods, while analysis and interpretation were conducted using the simple percentage method.

The study also draws on secondary data, reviewing various research papers, journals, books, and government and non-government reports to understand the role of women’s SHGs in promoting self-reliance. The paper aims to analyze how SHGs have contributed to women’s self-reliance in India, examining their impact on economic, social, and political empowerment.