Financial Independence among Rural Women in Assam through Self-Help -Groups

A country's ability to develop depends on the empowerment of its women. Evidence from several countries indicates that giving Self-Help Group (SHG) member’s microcredit can help empower rural women. The main objective of the study is impact of creation of SHGs on rural women in Assam. Also purpose of this research was to determine how well SHGs in Assam contribute to women's economic empowerment. The study's primary data came from interviews with SHG beneficiaries conducted in the Bongaigaon District of Assam. In all, sixty samples are gathered from two blocks of the Bongaigaon district. According to the survey, the majority of respondents are between the ages of 25 and 45, and they have completed elementary and middle level of school. After joining SHGs, participants engaged in a variety of income-generating activities. The outcome demonstrated a favorable shift in economic empowerment metrics, such as income, employment, and savings, following SHG membership. For the economic indicators, the estimated value of the Wilcoxon signed Ranks Test was significant. It was found that, in comparison to the pre-SHG scenario, the majority of the respondents' income, employment days, and savings amount rose in the post-SHG scenario. Therefore, the study came to the conclusion that SHGs were essential to rural women's empowerment in the study region.