Paper
Empowering Women Through Self-help Microcredit Programmes
Self-Help Groups and microcredit: Routes to women empowerment
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The paper states that extending of micro credit loans through self-help groups (SHGs) has a positive impact on the lives of the rural women by empowering them with skills and by elevating them to a higher status in the society. The advantages of self-help groups are:
- reduce vulnerability of poor: skills imparted enhance income generation and asset creation.
- help in repaying short-term loans.
- enable saving.
- help in enhancement of socio-economic status: members play a major role in decision making both at the household and the societal levels.
- impart a sense of security: women work for a common purpose.
To have a sustained women empowerment the author suggests that local bodies and government coordinate and support to combat poverty and poor women:
- operate their own enterprises.
- participate outside self-help groups.
- be the leaders.
- form collective agencies to deal with oppression.
- complement microfinance with auxiliary services and non-financial services for transition out of poverty.
