Social Capital as a Bridge: Analyzing Women's Empowerment via Micro-Enterprise Participation Using Structural Equation Modeling"

This study examines the impact of women's participation in micro-enterprise activities on empowerment. Researchers have conducted an extensive examination of the literature on women's empowerment, self-help groups, social capital, and microenterprises. The researchers collected primary data through a self-administered, pre-tested questionnaire. The researchers used a multi-stage sampling strategy to get the necessary data from participants who had at least three years of experience in microenterprise activities. The proposed conceptual framework for evaluating women's empowerment through micro-enterprise activities includes three variables in this area of research. Researchers generated and assessed research inquiries and hypotheses. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) have been employed by researchers to effectively identify and verify each of these constructs. To assess the significance of the proposed association between the variables under investigation, the researchers developed a structural equation model. The results indicate that by improving social capital, women can gain more control and independence in the decision-making processes of these businesses. This underscores the importance of fostering and promoting social networks to facilitate the economic empowerment of women in India. The study has theoretically contributed to our understanding of how social capital assists women linked to Kudumbashree in achieving financial autonomy and the ability to make social and economic choices