English

Abstract

The microfinance sector in India has expanded rapidly over the past few years by providing small loans to emerging entrepreneurs to start or expand businesses. In India, micro finance sector is dominated by Self Help Groups (SHGs) – Bank Linkage Programme, aimed at providing a cost-effective mechanism for providing financial services to the ―unreached poor‖. The SHG movement is successful in not only in meeting needs of the rural poor, but also in nurturing self-help groups at the local level, leading to their empowerment. The UNDP’s Human Development Report, 1995 found that 70% of the 1.3 billion people living on less than $1 a day are women. Studies in Latin America and elsewhere show that men typically contribute 50-68% of their salaries to the collective household fund, whereas women ―tend to keep nothing back for themselves.‖ The paper attempts to find out the role of micro finance on the empowerment of women. The research was conducted in the rural areas of kancheepuram district. The primary data was collected from 200 respondents through questionnaire survey and results were drawn.