SHGs and Dynamics of Women Empowerment: A Reflection through Power Relations Framework

This article explores the dynamics of women empowerment through Self Help Groups (SHGs) using power relations framework. Women empowerment has been defined to constitute an aggregate of decision-making capacity; capacity building and skill development; and political and legal empowerment. The comparative empowerment of women SHG and non-SHG members on three dimensions of women empowerment, individually and collectively, has been examined through mean, standard deviation, percentage, quartile, independent sample t-test and chi-square analysis. The score values have been extensively analysed to see the relative and progressive empowerment of women through power relations framework. This framework is widely used to understand the dynamics of women empowerment.