Women's empoWerment through entrepreneurship development with special reference to self help groups in Karnataka

The purpose of this paper is to show empowerment of women through SHGs. India has great entrepreneurial potential. Entrepreneurships enhances financial independence and self esteem of women. Among the states Gujarat, Maharashtra and Karnataka have more women entrepreneurs. Malhotra (2004) in her book has examined how women entrepreneurs affect the global economy, why women start business, how women's business associations promote entrepreneurs, and to what extent women contribute to international trade. It explores potential of micro-finance programmes for empowering and employing women and also discusses the opportunities and challenges of using micro-finance to tackle the feminization of poverty. According to her, the micro-finance programmes are aimed to increase women's income levels and control over income leading to greater levels of economics independence. They enable women's access to networks and markets. access to information and possibilities for development of other social and political role. They also enhance perceptions of women's contribution to household income and family welfare, increasing women's participation in household decisions about expenditure and other issues leading to greater expenditure on women's welfare. The objective of the study to emerging need to promote women empowerment among the rural women for eradication of rural poverty. Rural women with low income and take of knowledge of available banking facilities can do little for growth of banking habits on their own. Studies have shown that the delivery of micro finance to the poor is productive, effective and less costly. If they are organized into SHGs.