Community Empowerment by Dr. SBM Prasanna, Dr. K Puttaraju, Dr.MS Mahadevaswamy (books under 200 pages TXT) 📕

provide equitable growth opportunities for women who are increasingly being reflected among other in increased participation by women in local governments and decisions making programmes for women studies point out that expanding woman’s economic opportunities results in tfaeir social empowerment thus, leading to improved livelihood. Creating an environment through positive economic and social policies for full development of women enable them to realize their fall potential. Keeping in this in mind our government introduces the concept self help groups. These Self help groups and globalization help the rural women to redress from poverty and lead to economic empowerment. Economic development plays an important role in the development and growth of any society. The importance of promoting women to engage in economic activities is being increasingly realized in all developing countries. The need is two fold:

To empower women by bringing them into the mainstream of development and improving their economic status; and

To provide new employment opportunities by way of income generation, self employment and entrepreneurship to women from different socio-economic Sectors.

So the economic empowerment of a women leads to the empowerment of women in many things socio-economic opportunity, property rights, political representation, social equality, personal rights and so on. When a woman is empowered it does not mean that another individual (may be man or woman) becomes powerless of less powerful. On the contrary, if a woman is empowered her competencies towards decision-making will surely influence her family’s / neighbour’s behavior.

Globalization and Rural Women Empowerment

The concept of globalization is one that has become widely used in debates, in politics, business and need an over the past few years. A decade ago, the term “Globalization” was relatively unknown. Today it seems to be on the top of everyone’s tongue. Globalization refers to the fact that we are, all increasingly living in one world, so that individuals, groups and nations become more independent.

In the context of woman that impact of globalization will have to be assessed carefully, the will documented facts regarding gender inequalities that so far have affected women’s capabilities negatively demand unequivocally the policy-makers pay careful attention to enhancing women’s capabilities. It is a general perception that women tend to bear the brunt of globalization. On the one hand the general deterioration of living conditions and traditional patriarchal attitudes meant that they have had to take care of their families while generating an income, on the other hand. Women are often the victims of plant closure. The complete backwardness of rural women in observed in that their direct and indirect interaction with the rest of the worlds is limited. Most of the women have not gone beyond their village physically and mentally. They don’t know how the world’s looks like outside, what is happening in the socio-political scene of the country, who is ruling and what policies are being introduced or implemented. Their knowledge is limited to jus: their families and village situations. They have a very narrow perception of things.

But now the rural women have changed the world’s role and status the educated women empowerment takes place. One of the best examples of women empowerment is that involvement of women in Self Help Groups and earning income through starting income generation programmes The rural women started to welcome the birth of a girl child and she will be equally treated a: par with her brother, encouraging female education and ever after marriages she will contribute to economic interdependence, participation, decision- making and finally equal status will be give:: in the family.

According to Amarty Sen, “Women are less likely to secure favourable outcomes for themselves in household decision making processes. They feel that their long term security lies in subordinating their well being to that of male authority figures”.

According to Bangladeshi Nobel Peace Prize winner Md. Yunus “Rural Development means development of weaker section, low income groups, debar form development, depressed, exploited and livelihood needy like ST / SC, minorities, unemployed and women are needed sensitive Micro-finance and Micro-credit soft loan, without guarantor loan and financial assistance to needy person, than they can survive and develop”. Self Help Group and Micro Finance emphasized on the importance of micro finance. Micro Finance has initiated the process of ensuring delivery of :redit for self employment and development. Micro finance is one of the tools to attack poverty. Manab Sen, 2000). After the reform initiative for the globalization of the economy, the challenges of inequality and the feminization of poverty have been unequivocally exacerbated. So the women’s groups have started discussing the financing for development and they have started demanding and they have started demanding specific allocation of resources for women’s development. (G.Palanithurai, T.Parthiban, J.Vanishree, 2007)

Many studies on women empowerment shows that the self help groups are providing much opportunity for rural women empowerment. Nowadays those women are becoming more conscious of their rights as the society has begun to respond. More and more women these days are adopting :areer and findings employment as individual, while contributing to the building of rural economy of India. Women in search of better status, social dignity, self earned income and greater influence and party with these of male counterparts have shown impressive results of their performance in second decade. Social taboos and other restriction on the rural women are slowly but surely fading away because of the constantly rising standard in life. Thus we can say globalization of worlds helps in women empowerment particularly rural women empowerment in some manner.

Implication of Globalization on rural women empowerment through Self Help Groups

Globalization presents much opportunity for women empowerment. Particularly Self Help Groups are an effective and efficient tool for empowering rural women. Self Help Groups is a potential source to empower and institutionalize participatory leadership among the marginalized and it identify plan and initiate development activities. Self Help Group enhances equality of status for women as participative decision makers and beneficiaries in the democratic economic, local and cultural spheres of life.

It is rightly said, “Strength comes in a multitude of voices”. It is easy to alleviate poverty through SHGs. The SHG perform various processes which includes “voluntary donation” of money for saving purposes “Micro Credit” for mutual cultural sharing purposes etc, each and every processes of SHGs pay a vital role for economic development.

The studies on women empowerment through self help groups are revealing the following outcomes among rural women:

1. More Economic Opportunity and Economic Security

The economic activity performed by the SHG women increases income of the family and no.’ they are contributing to the family’s prosperity. Their freedom to work in a group and to earn income has contributed to the reduction of their poverty. Their freedom of economic activity has led to economic security. This also leads to ownership rights over the assets created by their, through their own income. The presence of claims of property amplifies the voices of women, anc it makes it easier for women to enter and flourish in economic commercial and social activities Ultimately it releases them from the clutches of money-lenders.

2. Increased Self-confidence

Activity through the SHG has increased the self-confidence of women by making them stakeholders of the project they have chosen. Since they realize their responsibility they tend to act in an accountable manner, which raises their self-confidence ultimately. The economic upliftmen: through their income has motivated them psychologically and their exposure to the world outside their family has given them the opportunity to understand the society they live in better. Their contribution to the family makes them highly prestigious in family and community.

3. Status and Decision-making power within the Household and Community

When women earn income outside the household make them to have a respectable position in the family and community. The ownership of property also makes women more powerful in family and community decisions. Their economic activity not only generates income but also provides the social benefits that come from women’s enhanced status and independence. The economic participation of women is, thus, both a reward on it own with associated reduction of gender bias in the treatment of women in family and community decisions, they are started to participate in solving community problems, and a major influence for social change in general.

4. Social Mobility

After joining in SHGs, the women have come outside their house through that their physical mobility from house to their work station has created a significant impact. Now, as a group of women, they frequently move outside their home and village. They frequently meet the higher officials in DRDA, collectorate, free legal cell and police stations. They also move to different place regarding their trade and business. This provides a chance to have nuance with different persons. This helps them to know the world outside their home.

5. Ability to Interact Effectively in the Public Sphere

The opportunity to move in the public sphere has increased their efficiency to interact with others. Through this their trading, negotiation skills have increased. They were meeting higher officials, political leaders and other professional without any hesitation and shyness. The SHGs are providing training in different lines such literacy, education, income generating occupation; training in small saving, health etc., through these SHGs is becoming one of the promoters of social and economic status of women in society. This has enhanced their ability to make purchases and sell their products.

6. Political Participation and Community Involvement

The SHG women have made their endeavour in community activity and political activity. They also participating in Gram Sabha activities and providing their views to solve their problems of their villages. The SHG members were contesting in the panchayat elections and becoming as village presidents and ward members. This has given them the opportunity to participate in group, community and civic activities. They have collectively achieved many things like putting an end to illicit liquor, water crisis, conducting medical camps and so on. They accept the people living with HIV/AIDS and involve them in group activities. They give preference to those people in starting income generation programmes. They also involved in preparing village development plan. This shows that, given the opportunity, women have been able to play roles at diverse levels of Political activities and social initiatives.

To conclude in olden days, women did not participate in any activities like social, economic, cultural or political. They lived within the four walls of their houses. They are considered as only (child) producer. They are not treated equally within family and society. Domestic violence and atrocities are highly practiced against the women. They live as a slave in the patriotically structured society. But now the things have change. Women started coming out of their family barriers. They are fighting for their rights and demands. They collectively raise their voices fore quality, liberty and in gaining power. These all led to great emphasize on women development and empowerment.

Empowerment is a tool used to uplift the women form the grassroots family level. It is the process through which women are trained to gain power. It is only empowerment which set their mind that they are not inferiors to men and they can equally compete with men women empower-ment is a social process which is necessary for the development of women. It is a base for human liberation and empowerment for all. SHGs try to increase standard of living of women i.e., it tires to increase the socio economic and political status of women in this patriarchic society. It is identified in this study there is relationship between Globalization and Self Help Group implication in rural women empowerment, the SHG members are socially and economically developed than non Self Help Group members. Participation in economic activities is the women’s key to their personal advancement and their status in the society. After women started associating themselves in SHGs may changes have taken place in all speres in life. HGs have paved the way for the emergence of new awakening in women by giving them an opportunity to come out of their house, making them associate with others and providing them loan for their economic activity and also a ground to realize and practice their