Self-Help Groups in Empowering Women: Case study of selected SHGs and NHGs

Abstract

In the early decades of planning problems of women were looked upon as problems of social welfare, rather than of development. The drawback of the welfare approach was that it did nothing to eliminate the social discrimination against and subordination of women.  In almost all plans for poverty alleviation and social change, disadvantaged women became a ‘target’ in developmental activities rather than a group to be co-opted as active participants (Beijing Conference, 1996).  Since 1970, policy makers and academicians started thinking as to how development programmes could be linked to poor women.  Women issues are development issues and by-passing them in development programmes means leaving almost half of human resources outside development intervention (CIRDAP Development Digest, 1998). Issues of poverty among women are quite distinct and complicated.