EMPOWERMENT OF SOCIALLY BACKWARD SELF-HELP GROUP WOMEN

Self-Help Groups (SHGs) have been playing significant role in providing an "opportunity for social action and empowerment through women¿s involvement in considering, addressing and participating in issues that affect their members and their communities including the issues that affect women in particular¿ (Murali Krishna, 2014, P.96). The concept of SHGs has been emerging as a major approach for development and empowerment of weaker sections in the third world. Entrepreneurship evolved as one of the driving forces to bring empowerment in women. Empowerment of women will be seen if opportunity given to them at par with their counterparts economically, socially, politically and professionally. They must also be empowered in health parameters. The present study was confined to socially backward SGH women belong to municipalities of Kurnool district only. Women entrepreneurs of the study were confined to ¿a member of any one of the SHGs in the study area and employs at least one woman employee, with a minimum investment of Rs.10000 and above, having no partner in business and has been carrying out any one of the income generated activities.