Context

• In India, women self-help groups have been a source of empowerment, fostering economic independence, social stature and community resilience. 
• By pooling resources, providing microfinance opportunities and promoting entrepreneurship, these groups have significantly contributed to the reduction of poverty and demonstrated a successful model of grassroots development

Potential of Self Help Groups (SHGs) in India

• An SHG is a community led and run initiative, whose basic tenet is to ensure economic opportunities for its members, which in turn can lead to their social and political upliftment. 
• India has around 12 million SHGs, 88 percent of which have only women members.
• The Union Budget for 2023- 24 also focuses on advancing SHGs and helping them grow into large producer enterprises for economic empowerment.
• The potential of SHGs was evident during the covid-19 when SHG members were making covid-19 protective equipment, masks and sanitisers, educating people about the importance of vaccination, etc.
• During 2022-23, more than 169 million masks have been produced by SHGs under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana National Rural Livelihoods Mission.

SHGs in various sectors

• The Rani mistris (women masons) of Jharkhand, who built toilets to help the state become open defecation free reflects how occupational stereotypes have been broken through SHGs.
• Bank sakhis are women incharge of an SHGs banking and bookkeeping activities.
• Pashu sakhis are SHG members that are trained in the best practices of livestock rearing and advise farmers on the same.
• Poshan sakhis are critical in implementing Poshan Abhyan 2.0 for facilitating food and nutrition security in rural areas.

Scope of SHGs

• Economic survey 2022-23, reveals that nearly 0.4 million SHG members have been empowered through training programmes to transform them into community resource persons.
• Such income-augmenting measures and livelihood diversification inspire and encourage more women to join SHGs , thereby providing upward mobility.
• SHG members also contribute to strong social networks and stronger local institutions, thus contributing to social capital.
• Socio-economic empowerment of SHGs facilitates attainmmet of UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, like SDG 5 (gender equality), SDG 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions) , etc.

Political Push

• SHGs are no longer just meagre beneficiaries of government schemes, but rather institutions with bargaining power.
• Many SHGs have started to advocate for their rights and, through pressure groups, have forayed into activism while sustaining livelihoods. 
• Their strong social networks make them essential to political parties because of the multiplier and demonstration effects that help further consolidate the women vote bank.
• Despite the 33 percent reservation for women in panchayati raj institutions, the problem of sarpanch patis or proxy sarpanches still exists.

Way Forward

• The immense human capital of SHGs has a great potential to transform them into national help groups.
• Political empowerment of SHGs can guide the way forward for holistic empowerment of women.