A STUDY ON IMPACT OF SELECTED FINANCIAL SCHEMES OF GOVERNMENT AND NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANISATIONS FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF WOMEN IN RURAL AREAS OF MANDYA DISTRICT

Women’s economic development is a central component of inclusive rural growth, particularly in regions where access to formal financial resources remains uneven. In India, both Government and Non-Government Organisations have implemented a wide range of financial schemes aimed at improving rural women’s livelihoods through credit access, skill development, and institutional support. However, empirical evidence on how these schemes translate into economic development outcomes, and the mechanisms through which they operate, remains limited. The present study examines the impact of selected Government and Non-Government financial schemes on the economic development of rural women in Mandya district. The study adopts a descriptive and explanatory research design and is based on primary data collected from 600 rural women beneficiaries, comprising equal representation from Government and Non-Government schemes. Structural Equation Modelling is employed to analyse direct relationships, mediating effects, and moderating influences among key constructs, including awareness, accessibility, effectiveness, satisfaction, support and training, and economic development. The findings reveal that awareness significantly enhances accessibility to financial schemes, which in turn positively influences women’s economic development. Perceived effectiveness and beneficiary satisfaction are found to partially mediate this relationship, while support and training strengthen the impact of accessibility on economic outcomes. Further, comparative analysis indicates significant differences between Government and Non-Government scheme beneficiaries, with Non-Government interventions showing relatively stronger outcomes on several dimensions. The study contributes to the literature by offering a comprehensive mechanism-based explanation of women’s economic development and provides policy-relevant insights for improving the design and implementation of women-centric financial schemes in rural areas.