International Journal of Management (IJM), OF ISSN MANAGEMENT 0976 6502(Print), ISSN (IJM 0976 ) INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL 6510(Online), Volume

me 4, Issue 2, March- April (2013)

ISSN 0976-6502 (Print) ISSN 0976-6510 (Online) Volume 4, Issue 2, March- April (2013), pp. 169-175 IAEME: www.iaeme.com/ijm.asp Journal Impact Factor (2013): 6.9071 (Calculated by GISI) www.jifactor.com

IJM
IAEME

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT THROUGH SELF HELP GROUPS (A STUDY OF LUCKNOW DISTRICT)

*Manish Roy Tirkey and **Dr. Enid Masih *Assistant professor, Joseph School of Business Studies SHIATS (ALLAHABAD) **Associate professor, Joseph School of Business Studies SHIATS (ALLAHABAD)

ABSTRACT Self-help groups play an important role in rural areas in reducing poverty. Microfinance and self-help groups assist the rural area people in their financial needs it is a type of banking service that ensure that unemployed a low-income level people get the better opportunity and they start to earn their livelihoods by themselves. The main aim of microfinance or self-help groups to empower women. This paper mainly focuses on the womens of rural area in their psychological, social and economic needs. The study is undertaken in the rural areas of Uttar Pradesh. Self-help groups need to focus on training program for the womens with the help of NGOs so they develop their skills and Talents. Keywords: Microfinance, Non-Governmental Organizations, self-help Groups, Women Empowerment

INTRODUCTION Microfinance is the provision of financial services to low-income clients, including consumers and the self-employed, who traditionally lack access to banking and related services. Microcredit, or microfinance, is banking the unbankables, bringing credit, savings and other essential financial services within the reach of millions of people who are too poor to be served by regular banks, in most cases because they are unable to offer sufficient collateral. In general, banks are for people with money, not for people without. Microcredit: Sound Business or Development Instrument is based on the premise that the poor have skills which remain unutilized or underutilized. Microcredit fits best to those with entrepreneurial capability and possibility. Ultimately, the goal of microfinance is to give low income people an opportunity to become self-sufficient by providing a means of saving money, borrowing money and insurance.
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International Journal of Management (IJM), ISSN 0976 6502(Print), ISSN 0976 6510(Online), Volume 4, Issue 2, March- April (2013) The main aim of microfinance is to empower women. Women make up a large proportion of microfinance beneficiaries. Traditionally, women (especially those in underdeveloped countries) have been unable to readily participate in economic activity. Microfinance provides women with the financial backing they need to start business ventures and actively participate in the economy. It gives them confidence, improves their status and makes them more active in decision-making, thus encouraging gender equality. According to CGAP, long-standing MFIs even report a decline in violence towards women since the inception of microfinance. Self Help Group is a group with an average size of about 15 people from a homogenous class. They come together for addressing their common problems. They are encouraged to make voluntary thrift on a regular basis. They use this pooled resource to make small interest bearing loans to their members. The process helps them imbibe the essentials of financial intermediation including prioritization of needs, setting terms and conditions and accounts keeping. This gradually builds financial discipline in all of them. They also learn to handle resources of a size that is much beyond the individual capacities of any of them. The SHG members begin to appreciate that resources are limited and have a cost. Once the groups show this mature financial behaviour, banks are encouraged to make loans to the SHG in certain multiples of the accumulated savings of the SHG. The bank loans are given without any collateral and at market interest rates. The groups continue to decide the terms of loans to their own members. Since the groups own accumulated savings are part and parcel of the aggregate loans made by the groups to their members, peer pressure ensures timely repayments. In this paper the role played by Microfinance in womens empowerment are considered into three dimensions namely psychological, social and economic. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM In earlier days women of rural areas are mostly dependent on their husbands and they are not allowed to work and their social status is low. Now days we see that with the help of microfinance or self-help groups the womens of rural areas are dependent on herselves. Many NGOs help them to motivate and starting their own livelihoods. OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY To study the role of self-help groups in women empowerment. To Examine the level of women empowerment through entrepreneurship development.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Sources of Data: The study is taken in rural area of Uttar Pradesh. Both primary and secondary data are used. Secondary data collected from NGOs report and Primary data are collected through structured questionnaire Sample size: 125 samples have been collected from the 10 areas that are selected for the purpose of the study. Statistical tool used: Simple percentage method is used to analyse and interpret the data.
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International Journal of Management (IJM), ISSN 0976 6502(Print), ISSN 0976 6510(Online), Volume 4, Issue 2, March- April (2013) DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION 1. No. of income earner in family of women entrepreneur.
No. of Number of Women Entrepreneur Income Before Percentage After Percentage Earners Entrepreneurial Entrepreneurial activities activities One 86 68.80 5 04.00 Two 39 31.20 75 60.00 Three ------45 36.00 Total 125 100 125 100

From the above table it is cleared that after taking entrepreneurial activities no. of income earner in the family rises. It shows a good sign that women after taking part in entrepreneurial activities are more confident to do jobs or self-work. 2. Monthly Income of Women Entrepreneurs
Number of Women Entrepreneurs After taking Percentage Entrepreneurial Activities 57.60 3 38.40 40 4.00 37 ----29 ----16 100 125

Income Level (Rs) Up to 1000 1001-2000 2001-3000 3001-4000 Above 4000 Total

Before taking Entrepreneurial Activities 72 48 5 --------125

Percentage 02.40 32.00 29.60 23.20 12.80 100

From the above table it is clear that women entrepreneur who didnt earn 3001-4000 or above 4000 their percentage rise to 23.20 and 12.80 respectively. 3. Monthly Expenditure of Women Entrepreneurs
Expenditure Level (Rs) Up to 1000 1001-2000 2001-3000 3001-4000 Above 4000 Total Number of Women Entrepreneurs After taking Percentage Entrepreneurial Activities 75.20 47 24.00 56 00.80 22 ----------------100 125

Before taking Entrepreneurial Activities 94 30 1 --------125

Percentage 37.60 44.80 17.60 --------100

From the above table it is clear that after taking entrepreneurial activities the expenditure of women entrepreneur has gone up in as compared to their expenditure before taking entrepreneurial activities.
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International Journal of Management (IJM), ISSN 0976 6502(Print), ISSN 0976 6510(Online), Volume 4, Issue 2, March- April (2013) 4. Monthly Savings Pattern of Women Entrepreneurs Number of Women Entrepreneurs Before taking After taking Entrepreneurial Percentage Entrepreneurial Activities Activities 77 61.60 47 45 36.00 56 3 02.40 17 ------------5 125 100 125

Savings Level (Rs) Up to 100 101-150 151-200 Above 200 Total

Percentage 37.60 44.80 13.60 4.00 100

From the above table it is clear that before taking entrepreneurial activities more women entrepreneur save up to 100 Rs but after taking entrepreneurial activities more women save more than 100 Rs even more than 200 Rs. 5. Purchase Decision in Women Entrepreneurs Number of Women Entrepreneurs After taking Percentage Entrepreneurial Activities 89.60 72 10.40 34 ------19 100 125

Members Male Female Both Total

Before taking Entrepreneurial Activities 112 13 ------125

Percentage 57.60 27.20 15.20 100

From the above table it is clear that before taking entrepreneurial activity male member took most of decision in purchasing durable products while after taking entrepreneurial activity female member dominance has increased from 10.40% to 27.20%. 6. Education Decision in Women Entrepreneurs Number of Women Entrepreneurs After taking Percentage Entrepreneurial Activities 88.80 86 11.20 19 20 100 125

Members Male Female Both Total

Before taking Entrepreneurial Activities 111 14 -----125

Percentage 68.80 15.20 16 100

From the above table it is shown that education decisions in the family are taken by male members of the family before taking entrepreneurial activity by womens but after taking entrepreneurial activity they take decisions in education matters of the family.

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International Journal of Management (IJM), ISSN 0976 6502(Print), ISSN 0976 6510(Online), Volume 4, Issue 2, March- April (2013) 7. Marriage Decision in Women Entrepreneurs Number of Women Entrepreneurs Members Before taking Entrepreneurial Activities 118 7 -----125 Percentage 94.40 5.60 ------100 After taking Entrepreneurial Activities 109 13 3 125 Percentage 87.20 10.40 2.40 100

Male Female Both Total

From the above table it is clear that most of the marriage decisions are taken in the family by the male members and after taking entrepreneurial activity it is slightly decreased women members of the family also take part in the marriage decisions but not that much increased. 8. Improvement in Personality of Women Entrepreneurs Personality Elements Improvement in economic condition Improvement in industrial skills Improvement in importance in family Improvement in social status Improvement in ability to take decisions Increase in awareness of social problems Increase in importance in women education Overall response Number of Women Entrepreneurs Yes No Total 123 2 125 (98.40) (1.60) (100.00) 88 37 125 (70.40) (29.60) (100.00) 123 2 125 (98.40) (1.60) (100.00) 112 13 125 (89.60) (10.40) (100.00) 81 44 125 (64.80) (35.20) (100.00) 61 64 125 (48.80) (51.20) (100.00) 120 5 125 (96.00) (4.00) (100.00) 708 167 875 (81.00 (19.00) (100.00)

From the above table it is clear that personality of women entrepreneurs improved as it is shown in the table that improvement in economic condition, improvement in industrial skills, improvement in importance in family, improvement in social status and also increase in importance of women education.

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International Journal of Management (IJM), ISSN 0976 6502(Print), ISSN 0976 6510(Online), Volume 4, Issue 2, March- April (2013) 9. Participation in Legal Matters by Women Entrepreneurs Number of Women Entrepreneurs Before taking After taking Entrepreneurial Percentage Entrepreneurial Activities Activities 105 84.00 85 20 16.00 25 ------15 ------125 100 125

Members Male Female Both Total

Percentage 68.00 20.00 12.00 100

From the above table it is clear that women participation in legal matter increased a little bit after taking entrepreneurial activities but it is dominated by the male members of the family. 10. Participation in Social Matters by Women Entrepreneurs Number of Women Entrepreneurs After taking Percentage Entrepreneurial Activities 58.40 18 5.60 10 36.00 97 100 125

Members Male Female Both Total

Before taking Entrepreneurial Activities 73 7 45 125

Percentage 14.40 8.00 77.60 100

From the above table it is clear that participation in social matters by women increased by 2.40 per cent but participation of both will increase by 31.60 per cent after taking entrepreneurial activities. CONCLUSION At the end it is clear from all the aspects that for developing both male and female has to work and when both are working the family condition as well as economic condition of the country would also be better from this paper it is clear that after taking entrepreneurial activities women entrepreneurs are earn for their family and taking part in the society activity as well as taking decisions also on behalf of their family. On the other hand Self help groups play an important role in women empowerment. REFERENCES 1. Aktan O (1996). "The Turkish Businessman and Management". Gundogan Publisher Ankara, Turkey, p. 12. 2. Cakici A (2003). "The Story of Mersin Women Entrepreneurs Business Creation and Recommendations for the Women Who will Launch a Business", 11 National Management and Organization Congress. University of Afyon, pp. 87-88. 3. Cakici A (2006). Mersin Factors Affecting Women Entrepreneurs and Business Life ", Dokuz Eylul University Social Sciences Institute Review, 8(4): 54-78.
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