Assessment of Self Help Groups and their impact on Tribal Women in Nagaland

Abstract

Inclusion of women in decision-making process plays an important role in empowering women. Women empowerment is one of the most vital aspects of inclusive social justice reforms and policies measures for poverty alleviation and unemployment. The goal of addressing the problems of poverty and unemployment including social injustice cannot be achieved without taking women on the board towards nation progress. Microfinancing helps women to overcome various social and economic bondage. It also helps women in realizing their fundamental rights, privileges, and potentials as equal members of society. The present study on the assessment of Self Help Groups and their impact on tribal women in Nagaland was undertaken to examine the performance of women SHG as well as its socio-economic impact on tribal women in Nagaland. This study also examined the problems faced by women SHGs and suggests measures to overcome such problems encountered by the women SHGs in Nagaland. Multistage purposive random sampling method was adopted for identifying the sample of SHG members for the study. The study was conducted in 4 districts of Nagaland viz., Wokha, Mon, Phek and Dimapur district. From each district, 3 RD blocks having effective functioning SHG were identified and selected for detailed study and from each RD block, 10 number of sample SHGs were identified randomly. In the final stage out of 120 sampled SHGs, 3 members from each SHGs were randomly identified, which result in 360 respondents for the study. The primary data was collected from the sampled respondents with a pre-tested structured interview schedule through personal interview. From the study, it was found out that the majority of the sampled SHGs completed 5 to 10 years in its existence which comprises of 50.83 per cent sample SHGs. Out of the 120 SHGs, 78 (65 %) of the sampled SHGs belongs to group size 10 to 15. It was also found out that, members participation on training, group homogeneity, decision-making pattern, repayment performance, and share of production loan to total loan, were found to be important performance indicators towards the effective performance of SHGs in Nagaland.