From Savings to Social Change : The Evolution and Impact of SHGs in India

Self-help groups (SHGs) are small, informal associations of individuals, primarily women,who unite voluntarily to achieve collective goals, including savings, credit, and social empowerment.These groups are instrumental in the socio-economic transformation of rural India. SHGs operate onprinciples of mutual aid, cooperation, and collective responsibility. Women in rural areas, oftenmarginalized due to patriarchal societal structures, gain a platform through SHGs to access credit, enhanceskills, and build confidence. This paper explores the evolution, impact and challenges of SHGs inempowering rural women in India.