Self-Help Groups and Women Empowerment: An Analysis

Abstract

Self-Help Groups (SHGs) have emerged as an effective mechanism for promoting women's political and socio-economic empowerment by enhancing their access to financial resources, leadership opportunities, and collective decision-making. The present paper examines the role of SHGs in increasing political awareness and promoting political empowerment among women in Village Fatehpur, District Mansa. The paper adopts a descriptive and analytical research design based on both primary and secondary data. Primary data were collected through a structured questionnaire and personal interviews with women members of SHGs, while secondary data were obtained from books, research articles, government reports, journals, and official online sources. The findings reveal that SHGs have significantly improved women's political awareness, knowledge of Panchayati Raj institutions, participation in Gram Sabha meetings, leadership skills, self-confidence, and involvement in household and community decision-making. However, women continue to face challenges such as inadequate education, limited political awareness, economic constraints, patriarchal social norms, family restrictions, and gender discrimination, which restrict their active participation in politics. The paper concludes that strengthening SHGs through capacity building, financial inclusion, political education, and institutional support can further enhance women's political empowerment, promote gender equality, and strengthen grassroots democracy.