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Microfinance (Self Help Group) and Tribal Women Empowerment: A Study in Nanded District of Maharashtra
A Study in Nanded District of Maharashtra
Since the early fifties, many developing countries are making concerted efforts to eliminate the colonial legacy of underdevelopment and social backwardness. Various measures have been undertaken to reshape the economy, social structure and cultural life of the masses. For this purpose, Since independence, India has implemented various developmental programs through five-year plans to bring socio-economic transformation of the society. The induction of commercial bank, co-operative bank, regional gramin bank and others since late sixties, is one among many developmental programs operating in augmenting the living standard of poor, eliminating poverty, inequality and unemployment of the rural segments including tribes. In fact, over the years, experience shows that due to rigid formal procedure, rural poor and tribal are not able to avail many benefits from these credit institutions. Large numbers of them are still under the trap of local money lenders and other formal and informal credit agencies. These are growing concern that the banking system is not catering enough to the needs of disadvantaged groups, especially tribal and more particularly women. This study was carried out on then SHGs comprising 20 members each belonging to Kolam, Dhangar, Wangani and Golla tribal communities in Kinwat block of Nanded. The following objectives are addressed in the study. (1) To examine the effectiveness of SHGs in promoting thrift and saving among tribal women (2) To understand the dynamics of SHGs in the process of improving quality of life of tribal women (3) To assess the implication of women participation in SHGs on their overall socio- economic status. So far, SHG programs are perceived as set oral in approach and not encompass the entire fabric of human development system within which they live and survive.
Prof.Suprava Khuntia