Empowering Women through Self-Help Groups: Pathways to Gender Equality and Financial Autonomy

Abstract: Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in India have emerged as a pivotal grassroots mechanism for empowering rural women through collective financial practices and social mobilization. Originating in the 1980s and institutionalized through initiatives like the SHG–Bank Linkage Programme by NABARD, SHGs have evolved into transformative agents of financial inclusion, social development, and gender equality. This study examines the multifaceted role of SHGs in promoting women’s financial autonomy, enhancing decision-making capabilities, and fostering leadership within households and communities. Despite notable progress, challenges such as gender-based discrimination, limited market access, and inadequate institutional support continue to impede the realization of sustainable empowerment. Through a conceptual framework of empowerment, gender equality, and financial autonomy, the study identifies gaps and recommends targeted policy interventions, including skill development, digital access, and strengthened market linkages, to reinforce SHGs as instruments of inclusive and long-term socio-economic change.Bottom of Form Key Words: Self-Help Groups (SHGs), Women Empowerment, Financial Inclusion. Rural Development, SHG–Bank Linkage Programme, NABARD, Financial Autonomy, Social Mobilization, Gender Equality, Decision-Making Power, Leadership Development, -Based Discrimination, Market Access, Institutional Support, Skill Development, Digital Literacy, Policy Interventions, Socio-Economic Change, Inclusive Development, Empowerment Framework, Top of Form Bottom of Form