| INTRODUCTION:"Nature gave women too much
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| | class women. Due to the development of
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| power. The law gives them too
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| | education and technology, the middle
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| little".- William HenryIntroduction:India
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| | class women have greater preference for
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| is a democratic and political country
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| | white collar jobs. The economic and
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| with a well streamlined administrative
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| | social empowerment of women in any
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| structure, and an already existing mixed
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| | society is influenced by the extent of
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| economy, with a rich experience of
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| | their involvement in income generating
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| private sector operations. Also available
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| | activities outside the household. An
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| in India is a vast stock of skilled
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| | important role is played by the Self Help
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| manpower and entrepreneurial class, a
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| | Groups to uplift the economic as well as
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| reasonably good basic infrastructure and
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| | the social status of women in the
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| a good track record of fulfilling past
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| | society.Self Help Group is a homogenous
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| international obligations.In this highly
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| | group of rural poor voluntarily formed to
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| competitive world the development of a
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| | save whatever amount they can save
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| society is highly influenced by
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| | conveniently out of their earnings and
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| productive contribution from each member.
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| | mutually agree to contribute to a common
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| Contributions from women in different
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| | fund, to be lent to the members for
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| walks of life can't be neglected. But the
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| | meeting their productive and emergency
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| experiences show that the benefits of
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| | needs. The basic principles on which self
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| development are not equally shared by all
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| | help groups functions are group approach,
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| sections of the people.The status of
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| | mutual trust, organization of poor,
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| women in the Indian society:From time
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| | manageable small groups, group
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| immemorial women faced the challenges of
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| | cohesiveness, spirit of thrift, demand
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| coping with a male chauvinistic society.
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| | based lending and women friendly loans.
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| Even after several years of planned
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| | SHG have been fast emerging as a powerful
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| development in India, the status of
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| | and alternate banking structure to cater
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| women in our country is low and their
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| | to the needs of its members mostly women.
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| socio-economic conditions are much more
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| | Altogether the self image of the women
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| depressed than that of men. The most
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| | as respectable source of strength
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| important factor that have affected
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| | improves significantly within and outside
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| non-participation of women in decision
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| | the family, their improved earnings is
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| making and governance is the private -
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| | spent by them for the education and
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| public divide associated with men and
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| | improved nutrition of their children,
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| women. Women's place is in the private
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| | thus paving the way for human resource
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| domain is associated with household.
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| | development in villages.*Impact of
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| Whereas, the public domain is associated
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| | participation of women in SHGs
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| with political authority, public decision
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| | ( after two to three years
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| making, productive work and masculinity
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| | ).....(Results from some independent
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| .Such assumptions have always hindered
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| | studies)
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| women to negotiate in the public domain
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| | -Average value of assets (livestock,
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| and they find themselves either being
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| | consumer durables, etc.) per household
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| criticized for their inadequacies or
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| | increased by 72.3 % from Rs. 6,843
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| patronized by men. The recent experience
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| | (pre-SHG) to Rs. 11,793
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| of structured adjustment reveals that the
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| | -59 per cent of the sample households
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| women are the most marginalized
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| | reported increase in assets.
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| sections. They are destined to a
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| | -Housing conditions improved
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| disproportionately larger share of the
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| | -All members developed saving habit as
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| burden,iiliteracy and
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| | against only 23% of households earlier
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| unemployment.Challenges faced by women:
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| | -Average annual savings per household
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| - Gender disparity in school enrolment
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| | registered over threefold increase from
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| and literacy rates
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| | Rs. 460 to Rs. 1,444
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| - Gender disparity in wage rates
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| | -Average borrowings per year per
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| - Women's employment and livelihood
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| | household increased from Rs. 4,282 to Rs.
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| opportunities
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| | 8,341.
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| - Causes of gender-based poverty
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| | -Share of consumption loans declined
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| - Infant and maternal mortality rates
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| | from 50% to 25%.
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| - Restrictive fertility control
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| | -70% of loans taken in post-SHG
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| practices
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| | situation were for income generating
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| - Violence against women
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| | purposes.
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| - Vulnerability of women in crisis
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| | -Average net income per household
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| situations
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| | increased by 33% from Rs. 20,177 to Rs.
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| - Depiction of women in the mediaGrave
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| | 26,88Impact on EmpowermentRelated to
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| Disappointment in some
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| | Economic Issues % members
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| areas:Marginalization of women as a
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| | -contributing to family income 65
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| particular species has put women on a
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| | -% share of contribution to family
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| footing with inherited handicaps. It is
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| | income 40
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| now generally accepted that unless women
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| | -feeling improvement in financial status
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| constitute a 'Critical Mass'of at least
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| | 89
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| one third of those in decision making
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| | -feel enhanced contribution to household
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| their presence makes little difference to
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| | incomeafter joining the group
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| the outcomes of governance. Experiences
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| | 74
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| from different countries reveal that the
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| | -feeling consulted in finance related
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| struggle is on, but mainstreaming gender
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| | decisions 60Related to Self
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| as an institution and cultural
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| | Development-(of those) earlier unable to
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| transformation process should continue to
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| | but now able to write
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| eliminate gender biases in development
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| | their names (after joining the group
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| and governance frameworks.Impact of
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| | 100
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| education and technology:The challenge of
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| | -not formally educated, now read forms
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| development in the broadest sense is to
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| | in banks 42
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| improve the quality of life which
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| | -read newspapers regularly or
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| generally calls for better education,
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| | occasionally 41
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| higher standards of health and nutrition,
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| | -more confident in taking decisions on
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| a cleaner environment, more equality of
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| | their own 66
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| opportunity, greater individual freedom
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| | -feel recognised in family 59
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| and a richer cultural life. Development,
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| | -feel being increasingly consulted by
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| being a human centered process is obvious
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| | other women 44
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| but until women reach the same footing as
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| | -feel more confident in dealing with
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| men, special attention for empowerment is
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| | people 75
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| called for. Empowerment is a multi
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| | -feel more confident in dealing with
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| dimensional process which enables an
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| | variousinstitutions with which they
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| individual to realize his or her
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| | interact regularly 59
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| potential. In the light of the above
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| | -regularly attend Village Meetings
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| background it is clear that empowering
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| | 41
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| women will change the destinies of
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| | -cast their votes in last local
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| nations.
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| | elections and 96Interactions with
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| Education is the most important
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| | Others and Local Level Decision
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| instrument through which human resources
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| | Making*Source: SHG - Bank linkage program
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| can be developed. Education enables
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| | status as on 31st march 2004,
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| people to acquire basic skills and
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| | NABARD.Recommendations :-Enable women to
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| inculcate abilities which are helpful in
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| | overcome barriers and constraints to
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| raising the social and economic status of
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| | their economic productivity.
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| women. Education helps to expand the
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| | -Addressing gender gaps in governance
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| economic opportunities for women. Higher
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| | -Engendering different institutions for
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| female literacy is associated with better
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| | good governance
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| hygiene, lower infant mortality, better
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| | -To form and strengthen women's groups
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| family nutrition, reduced fertility and
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| | to play an active role in the social
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| lower population growth rates. Education
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| | change.
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| has been included in the successive five
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| | -Remove illiteracy through women
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| year plans as a major program for the
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| | participation in education
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| development of women.
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| | -Enable women to use modern science and
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| Today women are and integral part of the
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| | technology
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| new economic order and play an important
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| | -Flooding the rural areas with quality
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| part in the economy. In India, women in
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| | SHG
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| lower income groups were the first to
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| | -Encourage NGO'sR.GAYATHRI SARAVANAN
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| enter into the labor market to earn their
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| | M.A., M. Phil.
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| livelihood who were followed by middle
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| | Email: gayathri_srvnn @yahoo.co.
|
