IMPACT OF SHGS ON ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT OF RURAL WOMEN OF JORHT DISTRICT OF ASSAM THROUGH SELF HELP GROUP

The self-help group (SHG) approach is a crucial tool to eliminate poverty and improve the status of women entrepreneurship and financial support for the better means of living. The present study is a descriptive study of the SHGs. A sample of 60 SHGs consisting of 300 members have been taken to study the various aspects of the SHGs. A multistage purposive cum simple random sampling method was adopted. 54.66 per cent of the respondents belonged to middle aged group followed by 50.33 per cent having land in between 1.0 acre-4 acres, educated upto HSLC (40.33%). Small scale business like selling agrobased items was the major occupation (47 per cent) of the members of SHGs. Majority (82.00 %) of the SHGs members belonged to nuclear family followed by semi pucca (41.00 per cent), and small family (79.33 per cent). 64.09 per cent of members belonged to only one social organization, 68.67% respondents were encouraged to take loans from SHGs / Govt. fund and 70.00 per cent members were increased their asset value. The major finding of the study reported that level of income of women has increased very much after joining the group and has positive relation between income and savings of women group members in the study area.