Social Empowerment of Women through Micro Finance Institutions-An Empirical Study

Microfinance has come to play a major role in many gender and development strategies because of its direct relationship to both poverty alleviation and to the empowerment of women. Women are the most crucial elements of the social fabric and are playing a pivotal role in the socioeconomic scenario in Rajasthan. Microfinance programs among the SHGs in India have been promoted for their positive economic impact and the belief that they empower women. Microfinance programs among the JLGs in India have been promoted for their positive economic impact and the belief that they empower women and also improve repayment to MFI. The survey was conducted on around 300 respondents from various JLGs of Rajasthan and the analysis was done to study the social empowerment of women through microfinance institutions. F test an nova was used to test the significance of relationship. It was concluded that after joining joint liability group women gained social empowerment at home. Now they are able to express their views freely at home but still they are not so empowered to move independently to other places without the support of male members of the family. We can say that members are partially empowered in this case.