A study on thrift and lending performance of women self help groups in athoor block, Dindigul

Women constitute nearly half of the rural population in India and play a vital role in Rural Economy. They expect that they are to be treated as equal partners along with the men in the development process. Women are now seen as economic actors with a particularly important role to play in the efforts to reduce poverty. It is accepted that their poverty and non access to various productive resources is related to their gender. It is necessary for programmes specially targeted for women has been emphasized. As a result of the poverty alleviation scheme, such Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP), Training of Rural Youth for Self-employment (TRYSEM) and Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas (DWCRA) have been initiated. The Self Help Groups are engaged in thrift and internal lending. Rural poor women require small but regular and urgent loans where as their options are restricted to programmes designed and approved by the government which do not cater to their needs. Hence to bridge the gap between demand and supply of fund in the lower rungs of the rural economy the micro finance scheme of NABARD has made a smooth today in to the rural economy and generated self-reliance and self sufficiency in Indian rural scenario. It is also imperative to identify the problems faced by the SHG members while making their savings, with banks, and within the SHG members, and to offer solutions with the view to ameliorating the intensity of those problems. This study shows an overview of Thrift and lending performance of Women Self Help Groups in Athoor Block Dindigul.