POVERTY ALLEVIATION AND EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN IN SELF-HELP GROUPS: WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO MUTUKKADU VILLAGE IN CHENGAPATTU DISTRICT A CASE STUDY

Abstract

Of the world's 1.3 billion individuals who are relegated to lives of abject poverty, women make up about 70 per cent of the total. Women in India generate 30 per cent of all food commodities but only receive 10 per cent of the country's property or wealth. This disparity exists even though women in India are the primary breadwinners. Despite the considerable contribution that rural women make to their households and the country's economy, they have historically been undervalued and discriminated against in all aspects of life. This makes it evident that women's rights and the protection they receive from societal disparities are insufficient. As a result, specific feasible remedies must be acknowledged and, more crucially, put into action. For economic development projects to be practical, they need to incorporate initiatives that boost the financial standing of women and work to improve their status. Especially among women, developing Self-Help Groups (SHGs) is one of the most effective strategies for empowering women and reducing poverty. SHGs can also help alleviate poverty. SHGs are groups of low-income women who manage themselves and come into being for the primary purpose of aggregating financial resources through the members' savings and lending those resources to one another to satisfy the members' requirements for credit. The typical membership of a SHG is from fifteen to twenty low-income married women residing in the same geographic area. Each SHG operates based on the concepts of self-help, shared trust, and cooperative effort, and each one has its one-of-a-kind method for organizing and managing its own money.
 Aside from that, routine transactions such as savings, granting loans, and collecting payback occur at specific intervals where all members are present, and decisions are made collectively. These are their primary operations. SHGs not only function as a forum for social interactions but also as an alternative social structure for engagement at the peer level. Most of the monies contributed to SHGs were initially put toward satisfying short-term consumption and meeting urgent needs. In recent years, the formation of SHGs has received growing attention as a potentially significant development mechanizing for generating income and employment opportunities among the less fortunate. The Self-Help Groups contribute to an improvement in the status of women as participants, decision-makers, and beneficiaries in the democratic, social, and economic sectors of life, as well as the cultural sphere. The self-help groups have given the women living in rural areas a greater sense of self-assurance, which has helped them do better in their day-to-day lives. This article explores training sessions, members have access to loans for personal needs, education, and business purposes. However, have we considered that some members may struggle to pay back the loans, leading to financial difficulties? While the SHGs have been successful in increasing women's literacy levels, what about women who are unable to participate due to family obligations or other reasons? How can their economic empowerment be addressed? Fishing may be the primary occupation in the studied area, but what about other potential sources of income? Have the SHGs explored other economic opportunities for the members, or are they limited to the fishing industry?