Economic Empowerment of Women & Self-Help Groups (SHGs): An Empirical Study on the SHGs of Northern Indian Sunderban Delta (ISD)

Abstract

Empowerment of women is a comprehensive issue and it is a dynamic, multi-dimensional process which enables women to realize their full distinctiveness and power in all spheres of life. In order to achieve it, mobilization and organization of women into self-reliant groups is indispensable for gaining solidarity and strength and inducing collective actions in right time. Against this backdrop, the present study is conducted through a questionnaire-based survey on the members from a representative sample of the women-run SHGs under the aegis of Sandeshkhali Large Sized Multipurpose Co-operative Societies (LAMPS), West Bengal Tribal Development Co-operative Corporation Ltd. (WBTDCC) under Backward Classes Welfare Department, Govt. of West Bengal in the backward class-dominated, economically-backward and naturallydisadvantageous thirteen Mouzas in two Blocks of Sandeshkhali of the Northern Indian Sunderban Delta (ISD). It is revealed from the survey that, since joining the SHG movement, the economic condition, decisionmaking power relating to expenditure, status within the family and the society has increased favourably for the women members as revealed by the appropriate statistical and economic analytical tools. Moreover, the awareness of the surveyed members towards different hygienic, political and social issues is worth mentioning.