Socio Economic Empowerment of Women through Self Help Groups and Microfinance: Empirical Evidence from Jharkhand, India

Abstract

Microfinance has played a significant role in development and gender equality strategies and microfinance delivery through SHGs has gained much consideration as a tool. In this paper, the impact of Self-Help Groups is analyzed on women empowerment in the state of Jharkhand. While the impact of microfinance on empowerment has been studied extensively in other parts of the country, merely a few quantitative studies have been conducted for the state of Jharkhand. In this study empowerment has been interpreted by identifying four economic and five social variables. Pre and post SHG period studies have been carried out for comparative analysis of the situation. Primary data has been collected from a sample of 270 SHG women members and respondent’s views have been determined using a 5 point Likert scale. The study has been done using Factor analysis using rotated component matrix, Paired sample t test, Pearson correlation test etc. After interacting with the sample of the study, the positive relationship has been reported between involvement with SHGs and the socio economic empowerment of women.