International Women's Day Special SHE

In India, women self-help groups have been a source of empowerment, fostering economic independence, social stature and community resilience.

By pooling resources, providing microfinance opportunities and promoting entrepreneurship, these groups have significantly contributed to the reduction of poverty and demonstrated a successful model of grassroots development. Down To Earth delves into seven exemplary initiatives to illustrate the formidable influence of these village-level alliances

In a typical Indian village today, one is certain to find groups of women talking about finance. They can be seen sitting under a tree, in an abandoned school building, or in the front yard of a village resident's dilapidated home, holding thick notebooks. "I am a member of an SHG”— self-help group-most women residents of villages proudly introduce themselves. In a male-dominated society, where women play significant but never-recognised roles, this self-identification as members of SHG is a badge of honour and an assertion of a new identity of power.

India has some 0.65 million villages, as per Census 2011. In comparison, there are 9 million SHGS with nearly 100 million women members, shows Deendayal Antyodaya Yojna-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) data, released in December 2023. This comes to, on average, 14 SHGS per village, with every eighth Indian woman being an SHG member.

An SHG is usually a community group of 10-12 women from similar socioeconomic background. They form these alliances to pool their financial resources for taking up joint economic activities, or to lend money at a reasonable interest rate to members for starting small businesses. At the core of this group is the collectivisation of resources to enable financial stability and self-employment for women. A cursory evaluation of DAY-NRLM data shows that each SHG helps eight to 10 women start businesses.