Impact of Self-Help Groups on Women Empowerment in Telangana

SEWA (Self Employed Women Association) was formed by Ela Bhatt with the objective of enhancing their incomes. Therefore, NABARD in 1992 formed the SHG (Self Help Group) Bank linkage project, which is today the world's largest micro finance project. In India with 1.38 billion people, the majority of population (70% roughly) is engaged in Agricultural activities where people coming from rural areas often find difficulties to save and do not have the access to credit and other finances. Women often faced difficulties in their daily lives, where there is an absolute necessity for them to adopt certain measures to step forward for their finances. This concept was well known as Self Help Group or in short women SHGs which is regarded as the unique notion in this direction. The SHGBLP (Self Help Group Bank Linkage Programme) had a modest beginning in 1992-93 with 255 credit-linked groups and a loan amount of Rs. 29 lakhs. India’s Self Help Group (SHG) movement has emerged as the world’s largest and most successful network of Community Based Organizations (CBOs). The main foresight for joining the SHG is not simply to get just credit but it is an empowerment process having with motivational attributes encouraging women to join the job. An attempt has been made to analyze such motivational, influential factors which encouraged women to join the SHGs and main motives for them to carry on in the groups for long periods. Therefore, the present paper discusses the major roles of working women in the present era of Self-Help Groups in Telangana. Since women empowerment plays a key role in socio economic development. It mainly throws light on women who are now entrepreneurs and are playing vital roles through SHG. It also focuses on the women contribution to the nation and various established parameters through SHG (Self Help Group). Key Words - SEWA (Self-employed women association), Self-help Groups (SHGs), Community based organizations (CBO), BPL (Below poverty line), SHGBLP (Self-help group Bank linkage programme).