(By Aryavart International University, India)
Nilofer Ara, Dr. Dipak Kr. Shukla
Vol. 13 Jan-Jun 2022
Abstract:
In any society the role played by women is of crucial significance and an important indicator for a nation’s over-all progress and without the active contribution of women in the economy any society is not expected to prosper. People of similar economic and social backgrounds associate generally with the help of any NGO or government agency and try to resolve their issues and improve their living conditions. Self-help Groups (SHGs) are informal associations of people who come together to find ways to improve their living conditions. They are generally self-governed and peer controlled. People of similar economic and social backgrounds associate generally with the help of any NGO or government agency and try to resolve their issues and improve their living conditions. The origin of SHGs in India can be traced back to the establishment of the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) in 1972. Even before, there were small efforts at self-organising. For example, in 1954, the Textile Labour Association (TLA) of Ahmedabad formed its women’s wing in order to train the women belonging to families of mill workers in skills such as sewing, knitting, etc. NABARD, in 1992, formed the SHG Bank Linkage Project, which is today the world’s largest microfinance project. The SHG is group of rural poor who have volunteered to organise themselves into a group for eradication of poverty of the members. They agree to save regularly and convert their savings into a common fund known as Group Corpus. The members of the group agree to use this common fund and such other funds that they may receive as a group through a common management.