Empowering Women: A Case with Grain Procurement Centres of Telangana

In recent times, empowerment is viewed from the perspective of participation. Women and other socially disadvantaged groups can be empowered by investing in their capabilities and increasing their skills. It is now widely accepted that empowerment of women is a process continuum with many interrelated components like capacity building, skill development and lastly, participation with greater decision making power. Indira Kranthi Patham (IKP) is a Self Help Group Federation model initiated by Governments of two Telugu States ¿ Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in India. IKP through its implementation agency ¿ Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) initiates, promotes and develops Self Help Groups for women. Capacity building and development of community organizations are adopted as main tools in the process of women empowerment by this program and several steps are taken in this direction. Grain Procurement Centres run by Village Organizations of IKP provide opportunity to rural poor women to participate in marketing activity. This book throws light on empowering aspects of women in the process of organizing marketing centres and conducting various marketing functions.