“The Contribution of Self-Help Groups to Rural Women’s Poverty Alleviation” (A Study in Golaghat District of Assam)

The Poverty alleviation of rural women through Self-Help Groups (HSGs) is a strategy that helps to gain control over lives, communities and society. Self-help groups are the process of enabling or authorizing an individual to think, behave, take action and control work in an autonomous way and take control of one’s own destiny. It is also critical concept to ensure the socio-economic development and poverty alleviation of any community. To bring women into the mainstream and encourage their participation in the process of national development has, therefore, been a major concern of the Government. The Ministry of Rural Development has been implementing various programmes to embark as ‘Women’s Component’ to ensure flow of adequate resources for the purpose. The commencement of Self-help groups to the poverty alleviation of rural women is multi-dimensional social process based on micro-finance programme cover a large number of rural women. Self help groups are small voluntary association of women to form a group which is home grown model for poverty alleviation which simultaneously works to empower and improve the lives of its members. The formation of the self-help groups has contributed its members in a significant ways. It improves the economic and employment opportunities for rural women. The self-help groups also help to enhance the quality of status of women in the socio-economic process and poverty alleviation of rural women. The present study is a micro level study may not cover entire concept of poverty alleviation of rural women through SHGs.