SELF-HELP GROUPS: CHANGING THE DYNAMICS OF TEA TRIBE COMMUNITY WOMEN’S IDENTITY IN SONITPUR DISTRICT OF ASSAM

Women Empowerment is a vast concept in itself with various branches which emerges through various means and process for women in establishing a strong position in the society. Women in the society still stand in the last mile away group in various sectors in the society. With the advent of Modernization, they are gradually raising their standards through various means and building an individual identity of their own in the society. Women of vulnerable community are more prone to exclusion and exploitation in the society. Tea tribe community women are more vulnerable social group in the state of Assam facing ethnicity crisis and identity crisis as women. The formation of various Self- Help Groups for women is one of the various means of empowering this vulnerable group of women in the rural society. Women Self- Help Groups are changing the dynamics of the status of tea tribe community women in both social and economic fields. They are producing social entrepreneurs from this institution of women in the rural society who are building a different identity apart from their ethnicity. Women social entrepreneurs from this vulnerable community are transforming the rural society and their community especially through these institutions. Women social entrepreneurs through Self-Help groups are representing themselves as leaders of change for all women socially and economically. Self- Help Groups provides platform for women to explore various ways or means of solving problems related to development with innovative and new methods. Similarly, this Paper, has given emphasis on the role of Self-Help Groups in producing Women social Entrepreneurs from the Tea tribe community women despite of their marginality and their contribution in the socioeconomic growth locally of Tezpur region of Sonitpur District of Assam.