Assessment of Priorities for "Access to Primary Facilities" and "Eradication of Social Evils" of Women after Joining Self Help Groups:In Context to Women Empowerment

Abstract

The soul of India lives in Villages. Even though India got independence six decades ago yet the villages in India is still facing problem of underdevelopment. This underdevelopment is in form of social, cultural, infrastructure and economic backwardness. To elaborate these problems come in form of unemployment, illiteracy, population explosion due to lack of family planning steps, failure of agriculture in consecutive years, poorest health management infrastructure etc. Every individual in the village is being suffered from these issues, but the worst hit are the women and the children. Using SHG's as tool government is trying to eradicate the sufferings of rural women. Some of the evils that is targeted by SHG's are no presence of economic independence, no access of primary facilities to women and unorthodox social chain. In this research work an attempt has been made to study how self-help groups are enabling women empowerment. In this research work the two important pillars of women empowerment has been considered, first - after joining SHG which primary facilities the women opted for themselves and their family. Secondly - after joining SHG eradication of which social evils were their priority. Using Henry Garret Rank analysis it was deduced that first priority of access to primary facilities for female SHG members was preparation of ration/health card, while first priority of eradication of social evil for female SHG members was strict negation to work.