Formation Of Self-help Groups Research Articles

Economic Empowerment of Tribal Women in the Nilgiris District of South India

The study is about the status of tribal women in their community and the way how they empowered themselves through Self Help Groups and other organisations. It gives a brief description about the tribal population in the district. The study reveals the traditional customs which were considered as the hurdles for women empowerment. It also sketches the tribal habitat in the Nilgiris district of South India. The study states that the upliftment of women in tribal community brought a tremendous change in their economy. It has been evident that after the formation of SHG (Self help groups), there was a notable change in the status of tribal women. It has also been suggested that the government has to take positive measures in educating the girls of the upcoming generation in the tribal community. The study has a conclusion that the tribal woman has to be given proper awareness about the schemes provided for the women development by the voluntary groups. There should be more development in the Self Help Group projects.

THE VITALITY AND ROLE OF SELF HELP GROUPS (SHGS) IN WOMEN UPLIFTMENT: SPECIAL REFERENCE TO KASHMIR

The prosperity and the stability of a family incomplete until a woman are not empowered. Empowerment means the raising of spiritual, political, social, gender or economic strength of individuals and communities, if a women is educated she can then rightly participate, organize, make others aware of the various programmes which is necessary for the upliftment of women. The women can understand and better coordinate with other women. The women folk especially belonging to rural areas had developed myth that they are dependent on males for their survival and are themselves unable to earn their bread. A Woman has been always the victim of discrimination and is given secondary importance in the society. They are unable to express themselves to outsiders because of restrictions imposed on them. This deteriorating condition of women is because of their unemployment, low status, least decisions making power, lack in education and awareness about the laws of both sexes. These problems have been somewhat rectified by many Self Help Groups (SHGs) operating in Jammu and Kashmir. This organization can train the women for various skill development programmes thus can assist. Women in standing on their feet and also in the assessments of their potential. Although government under its various schemes and projects has been trying to facilitate the economic empowerment of women belonging to lower economic strata, but has not attained much success.
 Under these circumstances the need of empowering of women through different schemes and projects is in need of and the formation of Self Help Groups (SHGs) is one of the ways to tackle the situation. It can act as a potent medium that can ensure the all-round development of women particularly rural areas. Women can get rid of financial problems as this group gives them access to various agencies and banks from which they can lend a loan to start their business or their work etc. The present paper is an attempt to showcase the role, vitality of Self Help Groups (SHGs) in the sustainable development of women in the state of Jammu and Kashmir where the women folk is mostly victimized by severe and bad conditions.

Financial inclusion: a tool for socio- economic development

Financial inclusion is one of the buzz-words in the development circles lately.It is also one of the major challenges throughout the world today and every government is taking different measures to make this dream come true. Various initiatives were taken up by Reserve Bank of India(RBI)/Government of India(GOI) like nationalization of banks, expansion of bank branch network, establishment & expansion of cooperative and Regional Rural Banks (RRBs), leadbank schemes, formation of Self Help Groups(SHGs), Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs) and Business correspondent model etc.in order to ensure financial inclusion. Besides all these initiativesas per census, 2011, out of 24.67 crore household in the country, only 14.48 crore (58.7%) households had access to organized banking services. To remove this disparity,government launched Pardhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna(PMJDY)with the objective to ensure universal access to banking facility with at least one basic bank account for every household.Government has successfully opened more than 12.5crore bank account throughvarious banks and mobilized more than INR10,000 crore deposits up to January, 2015. In this context, this paper is an attempt to study the current trends in financial inclusion in India with special reference to PMJDY.

Social and Economical Empowerment of Rural Women Through Self Help Group Formation in Jaipur District of Rajasthan

Women play an active role in agriculture, a strong need was felt to organize them into a group to bring out and improve their talent. The feedback obtained from the trainees of KVK sufficiently indicated that the impact of trainings and knowledge acquired by them during various training courses did not bear sustainable effects to bring about a desirable change in their standard of living. Hence, it was felt to organize the women and build a platform where regular interactions may sufficiently revamp their thinking and motivate their self-help spirit. KVK, Chomu emphasized the concept of social and economic empowerment of rural women through formation of self help groups. The members were trained in specific technologies, based on which they were engaged in income generating activities. The savings earned through various economic activities were utilized for meeting the needs of members. In spite of various constraints, the group could effectively function.

Micro-finance: A tool for fight against poverty in rural India through self-help group formation

Prosperity of India lies in the prosperity of its villages. In spite of being an agrarian economy, the rural scenario of our country projects a rather despondent picture. A large chunk of the rural population still remains in abject misery and poverty. Economic independence and empowerment of rural poor are major challenges faced by the government. Since 1991, the government has intensified its efforts for inclusive growth with its outreach programs. Banks and financial institutions are engaged in massive financial inclusion programs. Although, the percentage of rural population living below the poverty line declined significantly from 27.09% in 1999-2000 to 22.7 in 2004-2005, but still the millions of rural people are living in perpetual bondage write down the specific source. For alleviating rural poverty and freeing the rural people from the vicious cycle of poverty, credit has long been identified as one of the most crucial inputs as access to credit can generate economic activity, growth and development. During the year 2005-2006, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has re-designated Micro-Finance Development Fund (MFDF) as Micro-Finance Development and Equity Fund (MFDEF) and enhanced the fund size from Indian Rupees (Rs.) 100 to 200 crore. An amount of Rs. 113.50 million from MFDEF was utilized during the year towards up-scaling of SHG-Bank Linkage Programme. Under the SHG-Bank linkage programme, over 103 million rural households now have access to regular savings through 7.96 million SHGs linked to banks. About 27% of these SHGs are savings linked, the Swarnajayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojana (SGSY) programme–the rural poverty alleviation programme of the Government of India where predominantly households below the poverty line are admitted as members. Microfinance in India is characterized by a high advancement and has brought a number of people above the poverty line. But the coverage is uneven with high numbers of people in rural hinterland still remaining out of the ambit of the outreach programs. Southern region accounts for more than 2/3rd of the total microfinance through SHGs in the country. Key words: Microfinance, poverty, self-help groups, income, employment generation.

Role of Non-Governmental Organisations in Micro Finance through SHGs A Study in Vellore District of Tamil Nadu.

Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs) played a vital role in rural reconstruction, agricultural development and rural development even during pre independent era in our country. In the post independent period the NGOs became a supplementary agency for the developmental activities of the government and in some cases they become alternative to the government. After the introduction of microfinance through Self-Help Groups (SHG), they penetrated into each and every corner in India and actually the NGOs are responsible for converting the pilot project of microfinance into a major programme and the NGOs are responsible for making the microfinance through SHG as the largest programme in the world. This paper analyses the role of NGOs in sustainable rural development through microfinance. The study reported that NGOs are playing vital role in the formation of SHGs and motivating women to join the groups and linking the groups with the banks for microfinance. But, Non-governmental Organisations played limited role in marketing the products of SHGs and release of subsidies.

The Efficacy of a Group-based Exercise and Sexuality Education Program for Prostate Cancer Survivors

Introduction: The benefits of exercise intervention and sexuality education for prostate cancer (PCa) survivors include reductions in fatigue and improvement in quality of life (QoL) (e.g. health, psychological, social and sexual), muscular strength and aerobic fitness. This feasibility study documented the experiences of PCa survivors regarding the content and delivery of an exercise intervention and sexuality education program in North Queensland. Methods: PCa survivors included men over 50 years of age treated for or diagnosed with PCa over the last 3 years. The PCa survivors must have been: 1) free of cardiovascular or musculoskeletal conditions that may preclude safe participation in the exercise programs; 2) have medical consent from their primary clinician; and 3) not have participated in any structured exercise/sexuality education program within the last six months. Eight participants volunteered to take part in the intervention program. Pre- and post-intervention measures included fatigue, QoL, sexual function, muscular strength and endurance and aerobic fitness. Of the eight participants, five participants completed the group-based eight-week intervention program of three sessions per week and three 45-60 minute sexual education sessions. The exercise sessions commenced with a 5 minute warm-up, followed by 25-30 minutes of resistance training (RT), 15-30 minutes of aerobics training (AT) and a 5 minute cool-down. The sexuality education program involved three sessions, each of 45-60 minutes consisting of short talk/presentation, Questions and Answers and group sharing of problems and solutions. These sessions covered: 1) impact of PCa on sexual function; 2) sexuality, relationships and intimacy; 3) enjoying intimacy and sexuality despite limitations; and 4) function and formation of self-help groups. Results: At the completion of the eight-week program participants took part in one-on-one semi structured interviews. Transcriptions of interviews were analysed thematically, to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the program as perceived by participants. Perceived strengths of the program included increased motivation for exercise, the socialisation aspect of group-based training, instructor support and relevant sexuality education content. Participants felt that the program could be improved by increasing the intensity level of the aerobic training component. Discussion: Although this study was limited due to the small number of participants, findings did demonstrate that the eight-week intervention was perceived as a positive experience for PCa survivors.

Role of Shri Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project (SKDRDP) in Micro Finance Through SHGs –A Study in Shimoga District of Karnataka

Shri Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project (SKDRDP) played a vital role in rural reconstruction, agricultural Development, community development and rural development even during last three decades era in Karnataka state. After the introduction of microfinance through Self-Help Groups (SHG), they penetrated into each and every corner in India and actually the NGOs are responsible for converting the pilot project of microfinance into a major programme and the NGOs are responsible for making the microfinance through SHG as the largest programme in the world. This paper analyses the role of SKDRDP in sustainable rural development through microfinance. The study reported that SKDRDP are playing vital role in the formation of SHGs and motivating women to join the groups and linking the groups with the banks for microfinance. But, SKDRDP played limited role in marketing the products of SHGs.

Improvement in health and empowerment of families as a result of watershed management in a tribal area in India - a qualitative study

BackgroundTribal people in India, as in other parts of the world, reside mostly in forests and/or hilly terrains. Water scarcity and health problems related to it are their prime concern. Watershed management can contribute to resolve their health related problems and can put them on a path of socio-economic development. Integrated management of land, water and biomass resources within a watershed, i.e. in an area or a region which contributes rainfall water to a river or lake, is referred to as watershed management. Watershed management includes soil and water conservation to create water resources, management of drinking water, improving hygiene and sanitation, plantation of trees, improving agriculture, formation of self-help groups and proper utilisation and management of available natural resources. For successful implementation of such a solution, understanding of perceptions of the tribal community members with regard to public health and socioeconomic implications of watershed management is essential.MethodsA qualitative study with six focus group discussions (FGDs), three each separately for men and women, was conducted among tribal community members of the Maharashtra state of India. The data collected from the FGDs were analyzed using manifest and latent content analysis.Results“Improvement in health and empowerment of families as a result of watershed management” was identified as the main theme. Participants perceived that their health problems and socio-economic development are directly and/or indirectly dependent upon water availability. They further perceived that watershed management could directly or indirectly result in reduction of their public health related challenges like waterborne diseases, seasonal migration, alcoholism, intimate partner violence, as well as drudgery of women and may enhance overall empowerment of families through agricultural development.ConclusionsTribal people perceived that water scarcity is the main reason for their physical, mental and social health problems and a major obstacle for their overall development. The perceptions of tribal participants indicate that infectious diseases, migration, alcoholism, intimate partner violence and drudgery of women are end results of water scarcity and efforts to increase water availability through watershed management may help them to achieve their right to health which is embedded in their right to access to water.

The importance of being connected: urban poor women's experience of self-help discourse in Cambodia

This article discusses and analyses the experience of women involved in a non-government organisation-funded women's empowerment project in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Women involved in the project encounter ideas about community development and urban poverty reduction – in particular, outsider-imposed notions of self-help group formation, women's empowerment, and community solidarity. The article explores the ways in which power dynamics and social structures in this post-conflict setting affect the outcome of women's self-help groups. We argue that for some women, vulnerability and social exclusion are reinforced, because of assumptions that both ‘the community’ and ‘women’ are homogenous groupings. In fact, unequal power and diversity among women can derail ideas of solidarity and shared interests in women's self-help groups.

PROTOCOL: The Effects Of Economic Self‐Help Group Programs On Women's Empowerment: A Systematic Review

PROTOCOL: The Effects Of Economic Self‐Help Group Programs On Women's Empowerment: A Systematic Review

Educación para la salud en grupos de ayuda mutua para la promoción de estilos de vida saludables

Medwave es una revista electrónica revisada por pares y de acceso gratuito, que contiene artículos originales de revisión sobre determinantes clínicos, sociales, políticos y económicos en salud, y de investigación en el ámbito clínico y biomédico. Medwave is an online-only, peer-reviewed and open Access biomedical general journal with original review articles con clinical, social, political and economic determinants of health, and research articles on clinical and biomedical aspects.

Vulnerability of Government Induced Microcredit Programme under SHGs in India:The Task Ahead

Based on different reports and reviews on government induced microcredit programme operating through Self-help Groups (SHGs) in India, this paper tries to explore as to how the SHG-BANK linkage microcredit programme fails to reach the large number of persons in the target group, although formation of SHGs and development of micro enterprises has become the principal means of poverty alleviation by the Government of India. While presenting a theoretical model, this paper suggests that it is essential to make necessary financial grants to the target group primarily to the amount of expected 'debt trap' it may face in the informal credit market to repay the loans, which they received earlier from mainstream banks, within the due date so long as the projects undertaken by it are productive.

Experiencia de terapia ocupacional en la formación de grupos de autoayuda en víctimas de represión política

The present article concept the psycho-social trauma and its evolution in Mental Health to make reference to a experience of group with women who have lived experiences on extreme traumatization because of the political repression in Chile.It raises the work of Occupational Therapy in the formation of self-help groups that allow to alleviate chronic sintomatologhy and to harness successful strategies of psycho-social reintegration by means of the enrichment of the social networks of support. It raises the alternative of formation of long terms groups as alternative forehead to associated chronic damage to the lived traumatic experiences As well create the difficulties associated to this process as much at personal, group and social level.

Micro Credit and Rural Development - A Case Study of Amritsar

Micro credit as a tool of rural development through the development of micro enterprises was introduced to the economy because formal credit institutions (capital markets) and informal lending system either failed to deliver the goods or were not very much conducive to the growth of micro enterprises. As is known, the economic giants of the world developed their economies by relying on formal credit institutions through the development of their capital markets. But the formal credit institutions have on the whole failed to provide credit to the poor in under-developed countries for many obvious reasons (Von Pischke 1991). The micro finance industry in India emerged in the 1970s to provide poor people with access to credit without resorting to the usurious interest rates fixed by informal moneylenders. Because of their weak asset base, poor people are generally unable to fulfill loan guarantees required by traditional banks and remain trapped in a vicious circle of low income, low investment and low revenue. In 1974, SEWA Cooperative Bank was established to help low income women escape this trap and reduce their dependence on moneylenders. Through its success, SEWA bank proved that the poor were bankable and helped pave the way for the emergence of hundreds of micro finance institutions during the 1980s and 1990s. Further, many micro finance institutions fund the loan portfolios through borrowings from commercial and state finance institutions. Such re I inances include the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and Small Industrial Development Bank of India (SIDBI), as well as a number of state and commercial banks. Many other micro finance institutions, however, do not provide direct micro finance services and instead facilitate the formation of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) that generate internal funds and link with formal banks for additional financing.

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT THROUGH MICRO FINANCE

It was expected that women will equally benefit along with men. This has been belied by actual development. The ninth plan document recognizes that in spite of development measures and constitutional legal guarantees- women have lagged behind in almost all sectors. In India, the emergence of liberalization and globalization in early 1990's aggravated the problem of women workers in unorganized sectors from bad to worse as most of the women who were engaged in various self employment activities have lost their livelihood. Microfinance is emerging as a powerful instrument for poverty alleviation in the new economy. In India, Microfinance scene is dominated by Self Help Group (SHGs)-Bank Linkage Programme as a cost effective mechanism for providing financial services to the “Unreached Poor” which has been successful not only in meeting financial needs of the rural poor women but also strengthen collective self help capacities of the poor ,leading to their empowerment. Rapid progress in SHG formation has now turned into an empowerment movement among women across the country. This paper puts forward how micro finance has received extensive recognition as a strategy for economic empowerment of women. This paper seeks to examine the impact of Micro finance with respect to poverty alleviation and socioeconomic empowerment of rural women.An effort is also made to suggest the ways to increase women empowerment.

Role of self-help groups in generating microcredits and linking natural resource management in Karnataka: macro and micro level analysis

Formation of Self-help Groups (SHGs) in rural areas to generate microcredits has become viable units to support various activities related to agriculture, dairy, fishery, and rural industrial enterprises. Besides, it has limited focus on natural resource conservation and management. This paper attempts to examine the spread and performance of SHGs and their role in generation of microfinances to link activities under natural resource management programmes in Karnataka, India. The micro level study was conducted in five Village Forest Committees and 11 SGHs to review the performance of SHGs in linking microcredits and natural resource management. The study demonstrates that SHGs are the best formal micro level finance institutions to generate additional employment and income for needy people by involving them in planning, decision making and management of sustainable natural resource beside considering few issues and dilemma suggested in the paper. Study data indicated that in five VFCs, their savings were used to undertake soil conservation work, value addition of forest product to enhance further their income, and to cultivate medicinal plants. Thus, the reliance of these people on forests, though not reduced to a great extent, has improved the forest conditions through various activities in addition to enhancing their income.

Problems of rural housing in Bihar

This paper addresses the rural housing problem of Bihar. The causes of housing shortage have been identified in the context of rapid population growth, low per capita income, high poverty, unemployment, limited state resources, etc. A suitable strategy and institutional mechanism to implement the objectives of National Housing and Habitat Policy, 1998, may help ameliorate rural housing conditions in the state. This calls for creation of an institution dedicated to rural housing which would facilitate credit, subsidy, technology, formation of self-help groups and support infrastructure required for rural housing.

On-Line with the Friends of Bill W: Social Support and the Net

The Internet is now being used as a mechanism for the delivery of social support on a global scale, chiefly through the formation of self-help groups. Most of the research that has been undertaken on these groups has focussed on Usenet and the use of newsgroups for social support. This paper examines the use of an Internet Relay Chat (IRC) ‘room’, by a self-help group composed of problem drinkers. The group had an international membership and advocated the use of social support, rather than intervention by professional services, to help its membership overcome problem drinking. The paper considers the roles that these new forms of Internet mediated self-help and social support might play in changing the relationships of those who participate in them towards traditional health and social care services. The paper also critically examines the extent to which such fora might function as virtual ‘communities’ of care.

Self-Help as Mutual Protection: The Development of Hispanic Fraternal Benefit Societies

Research on self-help groups is plentiful yet published material on the origins, development and expansion of self-help groups organized by Hispanics to serve Hispanics remains scarce, as does material on fraternal benefit societies with ethnic, religious, or vocational bases. In this article, the author reports a test of three models advanced by Lieberman and Borman in a JABS special issue (1976) to explain the formation of self-help groups: the functionalist framework alternative pathways, and afflictive bond models. The history, ideologies, and activities of three Hispanic fraternal benefit societies were examined The findings support the explanatory power of Lieberman and Borman's three models; but indicate a fourth reason for the formation of self-help groups: mutual protection. The author concludes by calling for comparative studies to build a context for more empirical research on self-help groups organized as fraternal benefit societies, and for collaboration between policy makers and practitioners and such societies.