EMPOWERING FARMWOMEN FOR FOOD, NUTRITION AND INCOME SECURITY THROUGH SELF HELP GROUPS: CASE STUDIES

R.C. CHAUDHARY¹*, A.K. SRIVASTAVA², S.K. YADAV³, S.B. MISHRA^4
1Participatory Rural Development Foundation, Gorakhpur, 273014, Uttar Pradesh, India
²Participatory Rural Development Foundation, Gorakhpur, 273014, Uttar Pradesh, India
³Participatory Rural Development Foundation, Gorakhpur, 273014, Uttar Pradesh, India
⁴Participatory Rural Development Foundation, Gorakhpur, 273014, Uttar Pradesh, India
* Corresponding Author : ram.chaudhary@gmail.com

Received : 09-03-2018     Accepted : 13-03-2018     Published : 15-03-2018
Volume : 10     Issue : 5       Pages : 5390 - 5392
Int J Agr Sci 10.5 (2018):5390-5392

Keywords : Empowerment, Farmwomen, Income, Food, Nutrition, Save, Account
Academic Editor : Dr N. Narmatha
Conflict of Interest : None declared
Acknowledgements/Funding : Author thankful to Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India, for financial support; under the project ‘Biotechnology- Led Empowerment of Farm Women’. We thank them profusely for their generous support. We are also thankful to the women farmers of the project who provided the needed information related to empowerment of farmwomen through SHGs. We are also grateful Dr. Arun Ninawe, Scientist G, and Dr. Shahaj Uddin Ahmed, Scientist B of the DBT for their advices given from time to time. Author thankful to Participatory Rural Development Foundation, Gorakhpur, 273014, Uttar Pradesh
Author Contribution : All author equally contributed

This article is based on field study carried out during 2014 to 2018 in Gorakhpur district of Uttar Pradesh. It was observed that farmwomen belonging to all categories of caste with primary education or even illiterate under the banner of Self Help Groups (SHGs) have earned additional income but also feeling empowered. Regarding, empowerment, it was reported that almost all women were attending open Gram Sabha meetings and sharing their views. Even it was reported that all freely talk to bank officers, block officers and others. In this article, few cases are presented based on field study. This article deals with how self-help groups (SHGs) have facilitated to improve economic condition and thus they felt empowered as their husbands used to take their suggestions for family matters with little support farmwomen can produce addition nutritive food and save money in their own accounts.

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