Rural Women Empowerment Through Self Help Groups (SHGs)-A CriticalAnalysis

The research studywasconductedin Madurai district in Tamil Nadu toanalyze the empowerment of women through Self Help Groups. A total of 80 Self Help Women from two groups namely Sweed and Mahakshemam were identified asrespondent for the study. The results revealed that majority of women in both the groups had medium level of socio economic status. With regard tothe level of Participation in the activities of Self Help Groups, the involvement of women in the Sweedgroup ismuch better (50%) than the Mahakshemam (40%). Regarding training programmes attended for various technologies (62.5%) and credit orientation (67.5%) Sweed group is ahead than Mahakshemam group. In the sociopsychological empowerment both the groups had observedin freedomin spendingmoney foreducation, marriage for their children, purchasing and hiring things for home. Through Self Help Groupstheyhave raised their annual income, family health etc., In respect of political empowerment, Sweed group participation is higher in the election campaigns. Majority of the SHG women were empowered in the aspects of increase in self confidence, decision making, health awareness and active participation in rural programmes. They were technically empowered in adoption of new technologies. Majority of the SHG women from Mahakshemam expressed that, lack of proper training, monitoring and marketing channels for their products as their constraints. From the study, the promotion of SHG in rural areas will lays a better pathway to enlighten the life of rural women.