Role of Self Help Groups in Women Empowerment: A Socio-economic Analysis with Special Reference to Two Districts of West Bengal

Abstract

Women throughout the world have been subject to gender discrimination in varying forms. Since women's empowerment is the key to socio economic development of the community, bringing women into the mainstream of national development has been a major concern of the government.  Formation of SHGs which are supposed to improve the economic and social empowerment of the rural women is one way to solve the said problem. It is a viable alternative to achieve the objectives of rural development and ensure women participation in rural development programmes. In this paper, we shall deal with this issue with special reference to the women members of SHGs in Drought-Prone Areas (DPAs) and Non-Drought Prone Areas (NDPAs) of two sample districts, viz., Paschim Medinipur and Bankura in West Bengal. The sample SHGs have been chosen from both DP and non-DP blocks. An effort is made to suggest the ways to increase women empowerment. Our study shows that after group formation, the income opportunities among the members of these SHGs have increased in both DPAs and NDPAs.  Expansion of education among them is supposed to be the primary condition for empowering them. Further, involvement in group-based activities helps in enhancing their income earning capabilities as well as their contributions to family income. It becomes an important vehicle for the inculcation of banking habits among the poor women. Such enhanced empowerment is also revealed through their increased role in decision-making in group-based activities. Conducive environment is needed to be created to give boost to women self-help groups.