Pre and Post Effects of Joining Self Help Groups on Involvement in Income Generating Activities, Savings Parking and Factors Driving Women Sustainability: A study W.R.T. Chikkaballapura District

Purpose: The main purpose of the present paper is to find how far the demographics impact on the respondents involvement in Income Generating Activities (IGAs), Status of respondents before and after joining SHGs, and drivers of women sustainability. Micro Finance offers a range of small amount financial products aiming to address market failures (Gatto, 2018). Microfinance intends to provide the poor and vulnerable categories with solutions to face the imperfection of credit, banking and insurance markets (Ray, 2008). Empirical findings reveal that microfinance through microcredit has positively improvised the wellbeing of women. It is considered as a powerful tool for uplifting the economic conditions of poor through group approach (Juja S. V. 2014). Methodology: A well designed pre tested questionnaire was administered as schedule due to the existing level of literacy among respondents and to avoid non-response and incompleteness. Chi-square, contingency co-efficient, modified comparative ANOVA, Kendall's co-efficient of concordance, and Extent of Sustainability Index (ESI) were performed. The respondents belongs to 6 villages of 6 blocks Chikkaballapura districts. Findings: The findings of the study includes that demographics of respondents are significantly affecting with high degree of relationship. All the profiles are highly varying with more than 0.5 contingency co-efficient. 18 respondents before joining SHGs were strongly involved in harvesting commercial crops, 16 in tailoring, 11 in masala packing. The status of respondents after joining SHGs found huge increase from 18 to 33 in working in harvesting of commercial crops and well supports that Chikkaballapura district which is famous for commercial vegetables growing and marketing and supplies vegetables to Hyderabad and Mumbai. Further, a marginal jump is found in embracing tailoring job, running petty shops, and working in grocery shop with delivery service. Similarly the study found major changes in between before and after joining of SHGs as far as savings are concerned. 24 respondents before joining parked their savings with chit funds, 22 respondents with neighbours etc., and after joining the members 53 started savings parking with SHGs. Very significantly investing savings with chit funds and relatives etc were significantly reduced and they have started saving with SHGs. The drivers of women sustainability found to be development of financial skills, and quality of leadership, secondly cooperation between the members, and thirdly using loan for productive purpose.