Effect of Political Inferences for Empowering the Women Self Help Groups

INTRODUCTION

SHGs have been able to mobilize small savings either on weekly or monthly basis from persons who were not expected to have any savings. They have been able to effectively recycle the resources generated among the members for meeting the emergent credit needs of members of the group. Women SHG is a group formed by the community women, which has specific number of members like 15 or 20. In such a group the poorest women would come together for emergency, disaster, social reasons, and economic support to each other having ease of conversation, social interaction and economic interaction.

Empowerment is a process of change by which individuals or groups gain power and ability to take control over their lives. It involves access to resources, resulting into increased participation in decision-making and bargaining power and increased control over benefits, resources and own life, increased self-confidence, self-esteem and self-respect, increased well being.

POLITICAL EMPOWERMENT

The political element entails that women have the capability to analyze, organize and mobilize the surrounding situation for social transformation. Leadership qualities are also developing in women because they now participate in the social activities like trying to solve the problems of their „basti‟/ locality, village. In 1991, constitutional provision for 33 percent reserved seats in Gram Panchayat in our country came into being. In the beginning, the process of participation of women was slow but now the situation is changing fastly. Due to advent of SHGs, women were able to see the outside world. They understood the processes involved in solving the local problems through political participation. By and by, their participation in political process started increasing. In SHGs, they found an opportunity to become a leader of SHG. In some places, local SHGs acted as pressure groups for or against a particular political candidate in Panchayat elections. The SHGs played an important role to hone the leadership skills in women in the rural region.

Rao (2013)entitled as “women Empowerment Through Micro Enterprises role of Micro finance

and their support as micro finance institution in selected areas as well as India and their role in entrepreneurship development. The researcher used a five groups, 24 variables (Parameters), a well structured questionnaire of 300 SHG‟s on socioeconomic profile of member of SHG‟s and sample design of 4 Revenue Divisional. It was found through the study that the highest motivation for joining SHG seems to be by the influence of neighbors‟ followed by friends and family members. Kantida (2012) entitled as “Best practice of self help groups and women Empowerment. A case of Barak valley of Assam” attempted to study the impact of SHG‟s on women members as well as a comparative study on the quality of SHG‟s in selected area by collecting 150 sample questionnaires from the selected district. Some quality assessment indicators used for study were as organizational capacity kind of rules and regulation; running the group, attendance in meeting, selection of group leaders nominated by SHGs /NGO/Bank staffs, decisions taken by consensus. The researcher concluded that the quality of SHG‟s is quite low in barak valley in compression to other regions or states and the problem of the SHG‟s are facing were found to be of marketing basic infrastructure, training and skill development avenues lack of administrative experience in managing the affairs of the groups. The study observed that the overall performance of the SHG‟s in all the three districts was poor. Sreelak shmamma(2008) Regarding the political contacts of the sample beneficiaries with the leaders of different political parties, it is found that during the field survey about35 percent of the sample respondents have close contacts/ relations with the party leaders of their area. About 40 percent of the total respondents are approached by the leaders of various political parties for their support and cooperation in various elections. It is observed that the priority is given to the Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas (DWCRA) members in the selection of candidates for contesting various local bodies elections. Out of the total, 14 sample respondents have contested for different offices in these elections. Of them five members were elected as the ward members of the Village Panchayats. Considerable numbers of the women have become politically active after joining the DWCRA groups and are taking active part in various activities.

The population of study is 200 members which is taken from four districts in Haryana. The area of the study was Rewari, Bhiwani, Mahendragarh and Mewat districts of Haryana state. All 200 respondents have been administered with a structured questionnaire for the purpose of the study.

To examine the role of SHGs in promoting empowerment of women through political inferences.

To analyze the data, a set of simple statistical techniques such a Cross Tabulation, Person chi square test on 5% level of significance and SPSS 16 will be used in data Analysis.

Political & Decision Making Activities

& Decision Making Activities

The Table 1.2 shows that effect of age on political and decision making activities towards variable 1, 3, 4, and 5 that members of all districts self help groups can take decision itself , but variable 3 value of X2

test (.045) show that members of all selected districts take participation in political and decision making activities The variable 2 that all members of SHGs in both Rewari and Mahenderagarh districts agree on reservation for women in parliament whereas in both Bhiwani and Mewat districts they have given 100 % vote for reservation of women in parliament.

X2 value showing Effect of locality of SHGs on Political & Decision Making Activities The Table 1.3 X2 value showing Effect of locality of SHGs on Political & Decision Making Activities. Table shows that all X2value are accepted on 5 % level of significance. The variable 2 that all members of SHGs in both Rewari and Mahenderagarh districts agree on reservation for women in parliament whereas in both Bhiwani and Mewat districts they have given 100 % vote for reservation of women in parliament.

Political & Decision Making Activities The Table 1.4, X2 value shows Effect of education of SHGs on Political & Decision Making Activities. Table shows that all X2value are accepted on 5 % level of significance. The variable 2 shows that all the members of SHGs in both Rewari and Mahenderagarh districts agree on reservation for women in parliament whereas in both Bhiwani and Mewat districts they have given 100 % vote for reservation of women in parliament.

X2 value showing Effect of income of SHGs on Political & Decision Making Activities The Table 1.5 X2 value shows the Effect of income of SHGs on Political & Decision Making Activities towards variable 1. Value of X2 – test (.012) shows that the members of all selected districts don‟t take their decision on their own. The variable 2 shows that all the members of SHGs in both Rewari and Mahenderagarh districts agree on reservation for women in parliament whereas in both Bhiwani and Mewat districts they have given 100 % vote for reservation of women in parliament In variable 5 value of X2 – test (.047) shows that members of Bhiwani district thinks that they have not raised their voice in the meeting to discuss on the Self

All the statements shown in the table are strongly agreed with the analysis made through primary data except the statement “is your group participating in activities other than saving.” From the deep study of collected data it was conformed that .according to “effect on political & decision making activities with age factors in x2 values”. Overall empowerment has been ensured.

All the statements shown in the table are strongly agreed with the analysis made through primary data. From the deep study of collected data it was conformed that .according to “effect on political & decision making activities with locality factors in x2

values”. Overall empowerment has been ensured.

EFFECT ON POLITICAL & DECISION MAKING ACTIVITIES WITH EDUCATION FACTORS IN X2 VALUES

All the statements shown in the table are strongly agreed with the analysis made through primary data except the statement “Do you take any decision on your own for yours self help group and Do the members raise voice in the meeting to discuss about any point” From the deep study of collected data it was conformed that .according to “effect on political & decision activities with income factors in x2 values”. Overall empowerment has been ensured. Thus, Self-help Group has proved an important means in taking the process of women empowerment to rural region.

Kumari, P. M. (2011). Empowerment Of Women And Rural Development A Study Of Self-Help Groups In West Godavari District. Guntur. Commission. Rao, P., & Priyadarshini, Y. (2013). Microfinance and Rural Credit: Is it an Alternative Source of Rural Credit. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention ISSN (Online): 2319–7722, ISSN (Print): 2319 – 7714, 2(3), pp. 28-39 Sreeramamurty, K. (2012). Self Help Groups And Women Empowerment A Case Study Of Two Mandals In West Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh. Visakhapatnam. Filed, A. (2009). Discovering Statisticts.using SPSS and sex and drugs and rockhi roll. New Delhi: SAGE .

Assistant Professor, C. D. R. J. M. Butana, Sonipat dharma.jajoria@gmail.com