Significance of the Self Help Groups : A Critical Evaluation

The Self Help Group and its Bank linkage programme has assumed a pivotal role in the process of empowerment of women both socially and economically. At the same time various researchers and authors have glorified the SHG movement as the ultimate path for empowerment of women. However, the SHG is nothing more than an informal group of people (generally women) coming together for a common cause. The survey and the article aims at finding out whether the promotion of such groups actually serve the purpose in a holistic way or, is the society following a model which is constrained by itself. It is understood that the empowerment of women is extremely important, but the Governments in question cannot shrug away from their responsibilities by simply promoting the idea of SHG's and pressurising the banking system to get linked with these SHGs. The article aims at finding out the level of education and other qualities amongst SHG members, the promotion of which should be a priority of the State and Central Governments