Empowering Women through Entrepreneurship in Fishery Based SHGs of Kerala

The study has analysed the fisherwomen empowerment through participation in the entrepreneurial activities of SHGs functioning in the fisheries sector. The study was carried out in six selected villages of three coastal districts (Kollam, Ernakulam and Kasargod) covering 18 SHGs and 180 members. Farming (55.5%) and value addition of fish (45.5%) were the entrepreneurial activities adopted by the fisherwomen SHGs in Kerala. The empowerment level of each SHG member was quantified by modifying the existing empowerment dimensions into an Empowerment Index (EI), consisting of 8 dimensions — confidence building, self-esteem, decisionmaking pattern, capacity building, psychological empowerment, social empowerment, economic empowerment and political empowerment. The extent of empowerment was found by taking the difference in empowerment index before and after joining the SHG. Among the eight empowerment dimensions, highest difference was observed in confidence building (0.43), followed closely by economic empowerment (0.42) and decision-making pattern (0.41).