Attitude of Women towards Self Help Groups under Integrated Watershed Management Programme

Abstract

Self-Help Group (SHG) program is a pragmatic approach to eradicate poverty. It is initiated as a selfemployment program in the jargon of poverty eradication measures as well as empowerment program in the country. Therefore, a study was undertaken to measure the attitude of SHG member towards self help groups. A Scale was developed to measure the attitude. The scale consisting of 22 items was developed, for which Rulon's formula coefficient of reliability was 0.744. The developed the scale was used to measure the attitudes of SHG and non SHG members towards self help groups promoted under Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP). Amreli District of Gujarat State was selected for the study. Different five talukas of Amreli district were randomly selected where SHGs were formed under IWMP. Two villages from each taluka were purposively selected where SHGs conducted their livelihood activities more than four years under IWMP. Ninety SHG and ninety non SHG members were selected from the villages. Thus total sample size was 180. Frequencies, percentage, mean, Z test analysis were carried out and results revealed that the independent sample ‘Z’ test showed that there was highly significant difference in the mean values of SHG members (66.89) and non SHG members (36.86) in case of attitude towards SHGs.