JJEM: Volume 2 Issue 2 (Jul - Dec 2018)
JJEM: Volume 2 Issue 2 (Jul - Dec 2018)
2018-12-30
SHG Bank Linkage Programme and Women Empowerment
C. R. Reddy, C. M. Manjunatha
Microfinance, in simple terms, is providing access to financial services in smaller volumes and at affordable cost, especially to hitherto not reached or inadequately reached masses. Gender equity is indispensable in the process of socio-economic development of a nation. Empowering women to involve themselves from a position of enforced powerlessness to (a) develop the necessary skills and access to credit, (b) express collective interests to achieve the goal and (c) change the underlying inequalities in power and resources to increase self-esteem and sense of self-confidence, self-bargaining power and self decision-making on independent choice through Self-Help Groups system is the call of the day. To capitalise vast branch network of India the SBLP is suitable enabling access to reach rural people to credit. Essentially, women empowerment leads in development of three ‘G’s namely (a) good family, (b) good society and (c) good nation ultimately in inclusive growth. Microfinance is not only an efficient tool to fight against poverty but also a means of promoting socially and economically the most vulnerable sections of population particularly women. The savings of poor women is better than their counterparts of men.
Empowerment, Inclusive growth, Linkage-programme, Microcredit and Savings..