SELF HELP GROUPS AND MICRO ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT AMONG WOMEN

Empowering Women through Financial Independence 

Achieving financial independence is a crucial step towards empowering women, fostering assertiveness, and protecting them from various societal challenges. SEVAK has prioritized this from the outset, focusing on organizing rural communities into small groups through social mobilization, training, and access to bank credit along with government subsidies. These Self-Help Groups (SHGs) primarily consist of families from Below Poverty Line (BPL) and marginalized backgrounds. The mission is to improve the living standards of disadvantaged families, lifting them above the poverty line by steadily increasing their income through community engagement and financial empowerment.

Organizing Rural Communities for Economic and Social Development

SEVAK’s approach involves building strong community bonds within rural areas while equipping participants with essential skills, knowledge, and income-generating assets. This is achieved through a combination of bank loans and government assistance. These efforts not only aim to boost women’s economic development but also work towards changing the social environment to combat gender discrimination, both in workplaces and at home.

The Role of SHGs in Economic Transformation

Self-Help Groups and micro enterprises play a pivotal role in transforming the socio-economic landscape by promoting self-employment, thereby enhancing income levels and living standards for rural women. SEVAK emphasizes the importance of SHGs as a platform for training and skill development, which nurtures human capital and supports sustainable income generation. Group members engage in various activities, including dairy farming, mechanized agriculture, weaving, poultry, food processing, and mushroom cultivation. Through shared knowledge and mutual support, members ensure proper use of funds and timely loan repayments.

Fostering Economic Independence and Social Confidence 

SHGs function as informal collectives, enabling members to address their immediate economic needs without relying on external assistance. SEVAK’s promotion of SHGs has fostered economic independence among the rural poor, especially women, helping to prevent exploitation and build confidence in a social structure where they are often overlooked. The economic activities supported by SEVAK’s revolving fund have significantly raised the living standards of these women and their families.

SEVAK’s Revolving Fund for Women’s Self-Help Groups

To further support SHGs, SEVAK provides a revolving fund specifically for women’s groups, empowering them to undertake viable income-generating activities. This financial support has not only boosted earnings but has also improved access to education for their children, reducing school dropout rates. Each year, SEVAK allocates over ₹80 lakh in revolving fund assistance to promote income and employment generation for individual members of self-help groups, contributing to long-term economic stability and growth within rural communities.