Women empowerment through self help groups in Shimoga District

The empowerment of women is crucial for the development of the country. Women empowerment is a process in which women challenge the existing norms and culture, to effectively promote their well being. The Indian Constitution grants equality to women in all aspects. In this regard, the year 2001 was celebrated as the year of Women Empowerment. The concept of self help groups (SHGs) introduced by the Ministry of Rural Development has taken its roots in nook and corner of the rural areas and in the semi-urban and urban areas, which help improve the living standards. The present paper examines the economic empowerment of the SHG members through the SHGs. The study proves that the SHGs enabled the women to have a significant improvement in the economic empowerment.