Grass Root Entrepreneurship through Self-Help Groups

Abstract

The rural sector in India has been experiencing a remarkable change in the structure and pattern of employment. Agricultural sector operations are fast dwindling and there is more and more emphasis on non-agricultural activities. T.S.Papalo and AN.Sharma [1999] have rightly observed that in rural areas some overall shift has taken place from agriculture to non-agricultural activities and this shift is consistent and continuous in the case' of male workers, the trend has seems to have reversed for women in the latest years 1993-94. It is true that women have improved their share of employment in organized sector as during 1983-91, the share has grown by 3.66% per annum. However in the unorganized sector, it has grown only at a rate of 1.9% in rural areas.