Entrepreneurship Development Through SHG: A Weapon for Economic Empowerment of Rural Women

Economic development can be fostered only when women entrepreneurs in the nation is empowered. It is clear that women are the powerful drivers of development. Developing entrepreneurial skills among women will be a good approach for women empowerment and this would elevate social status of women. If she feels that she is reasonably strong, women entrepreneurs will be able to compete in all respect. Therefore the promotion of micro and small scale enterprises has been recognized as an important strategy for advancing the economic empowerment of women. At the household level, women's microenterprises and small scale businesses play an important role in ensuring the survival of poor household and in building up women's confidence, skills and socio economic status. However it is seen that women are the most deprived category in the society specifically in developing countries. In India also the economic status of women is very low especially in rural areas and opportunities of earning are very less. In this scenario the Self Help Groups (SHGs) are considered as institutional innovation that fosters empowerment of rural women and have paved the way for economic independence of rural women. Keeping in view this papers aims at discussing some important aspects of women empowerment through micro entrepreneurship development and SHGs.