Rural Transformation and Self-Help Groups – A Case Study
Rural Transformation and Self-Help Groups – A Case Study

Summary/Abstract: Rural women possess abundant resources to take up enterprises. She has the benefit of easy availability of arm and livestock based raw materials and other resources. Hence, she can effectively undertake both the production and processing oriented enterprises. Entrepreneurship development among rural women helps to enhance their personal capabilities and increase decision-making status in the family and society as a whole. This study discusses the role of Self Help Groups in women entrepreneurship in Vellapatti village of Tuticorin town. The present study is based on both primary and secondary data. Primary data have been collected by conducting a survey among 75 sample respondents from 9 Self Help Groups in different areas of Vellapatti village of Tuticorin town. Secondary data have been collected from books, journals, newspapers, internet and periodicals. Percentage analysis, averages, standard deviation, CHI square test and probability analysis were used. The data relates to the month of July 2013. The level of social empowerment among the respondents was measured by asking them to give their opinion on identified indicators such as mobility, recognition in family, recognition in community, interaction with outsiders, literacy, asset building ability, control over family income, skill development, decision making, access to health services, sanitation, and credit sources etc., through five point continuum scale. The study reveals that 17.33 percent of the sample respondent’s suggestions to improve the performance of SHGs are to provide more loans, whereas 60 percent and 22.67 percent of the sample respondents’ suggestion is to provide loan at right time and to provide loan at lesser rate of interest. The present study undertaken in Vellapatti village reveals that SHGs have made a tremendous impact on social dimensions of women members.

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