A case study on the impact of Self Help Groups in rural S. India: A comparison between a colony and main village.

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1 Ambele J. Mwamelo Independent Research: WMGST 391 Professor Anna Kux 8 th February, A case study on the impact of Self Help Groups in rural S. India: A comparison between a colony and main village. Abstract: A Self Help Group can be defined as a voluntary association of the poor with a common goal of social and economic empowerment. These groups have been on the forefront of enhancing women s participation and progress in various socio-economic activities. In India, states like Tamil Nadu started Self Help Group initiatives since One of the most prominent changes has been the socio-economic emancipation of the SHG members. Moreover, these women have been able to gain voice and confidence to fight social issues such as alcoholism, in addition to gaining health awareness. This study assessed best performing Self Help Groups that are under the Rural Unit for Health and Social Affairs (RUHSA) in Vellore, Tamil Nadu. The implementation of the SHG program at RUHSA has been ongoing since The main objective the study was to assess the impact of Self Help Groups, from the main village and colony, on women empowerment. Introduction: According to the Eleventh National Development Plan, India still has around 300 million poor people (IFAD). Although the country has been able to reduce the proportion of poor people from about 55% in 1973 to about 27% in 2004, the poverty burden remains high with the nation having an estimated one third of the world s poor (Kumar, 2015). Poverty levels generally remain to be high in rural areas. Caste plays an important role in shaping the socio-economic disparities of Indians (Gang, 2004). More so, in rural areas Scheduled Tribes exhibit the highest level of poverty (47.4%), followed by Scheduled Castes (SCs), (42.3%), and Other Backward Castes (OBC), 31.9%); in comparison to 33.8% for all classes (Sundaram, 2012). Poverty levels are far worse for women

2 compared to men, due to the existing gender disparities economically, socially, and politically (Chepchirchir, 2013). Over the years, several approaches have been developed to not only tackle poverty but also empower women. The establishment of Self Help Groups (SHG) has been one of such efforts which enable the poor to participate in the process of development. Thousands of the poor and the marginalized population in India are improving their individual, family and communities through Self Help Groups (Chitagubbi, 2011). This paper is a descriptive study of two Self Help Groups promoted by the Rural Unit for Health and Social Affairs (RUHSA) an NGO that works to promote the community health and developmental welfare of the people of KV Kuppam block of rural Vellore, India. Women empowerment: Women empowerment is one of the central issues developmental issues in countries all over the world (Kumar, 2014). It involves women gaining greater control over resources, especially in countries where resources are scarce. These resources can be material, human and intellectual like knowledge, information, ideas and financial resources like money. Ultimately, the goal is to ensure access to money and control over decision-making in the home, community, society and nation. According to the Country Report of Government of India, empowerment means, moving from a position of enforced powerlessness to one of power (Chitagubbi, 2011). In line with this definition, Self Help Groups have been on the forefront of enhancing women s participation and progress in various socio-economic activities. The concept of Self- Help Groups: A Self Help Group can be defined as a voluntary association of the poor with a common goal of social and economic empowerment (Ballem et al, 2012). Women SHGs were formed for the empowerment of poor women, with the aim of introducing gender equality, women economic

3 independence and self-confidence among women (Women s SHGs in Tamil Nadu). Usually a group of women come together. SHGs act as a platform for women to save regularly, to lend the savings internally among the members, and also to access bank credit in case the accumulated savings are not able to meet the credit requirements of the members (MHRD, 2004). SHGs were started in Tamil Nadu around 1997 and one of the most prominent changes has been the socioeconomic emancipation of the SHG members. As of November 2008, there were 378,000 SHGs in Tamil Nadu with a membership of 606,300 and the number continues to grow (Kumar, 2014). RUHSA demographic and Self Help Groups The Rural Unit for Health and Social Affairs (RUHSA) was established in 1977 as part of the Christian Medical College and Hospital. Situated in the KV Kuppam Block of Vellore district, Tamil Nadu, RUHSA serves the needs of the rural population by providing affordable medical care and community projects for poverty alleviation (RUHSA Report). RUHSA has a target population of approximately 22,000 households (this number has been increasing). As of 2001, approximately 75% of the KV Kuppam population was living below the official poverty line with a third of this population belonging to lower castes; scheduled caste (SC), most backward caste (MBC) and backward caste (BC). As mentioned earlier, RUHSA is committed to the socioeconomic empowerment of the rural community and has thus partnered with the State Government in the formation of Self Help Groups in the KV Kuppam block. The implementation of the SHG program at RUHSA has been very intensive, especially between the years The Project Coordinator of the SHG program works closely with a number of personnel such as the Rural Community Officers (RCOs) and Training Officers who are also part of RUHSA staff (RUHSA Report).

4 During my time at RUHSA, I was able to not only interact with the Mr. Sekar, the project coordinator for the Self Help Group and learn more about the organization s role in SHG promotion. RUHSA is responsible for four main things as far as the SHG program goes: facilitating the organization of the women into groups, conducting training, linking the groups with formal financial agencies, assisting the groups in entering several development activities such as Income Generation Programs, Community Action Programs, Social Action Programs, and assisting groups with sustainability after they withdraw from RUHSA. The Project Coordinator and the Rural Community Officers receive training to equip them for training the Self Help Groups. Such training activities (also known as Training of Trainers) continue for the first two years following the formation of Self Help Groups. Moreover, the trainings are coordinated by the Tamil Nadu Cooperation for the Development of Women which was founded in 1983 with the sole purpose of bringing out socio economic development and empowerment of women (Hayder et al, 2001). The RCOs then work with the groups and encourage them to expand their economic opportunities such as microcredit schemes to establish Income Generating Projects. Objectives of the study: This paper aims to study the following aspects of the two SHGs, Anbala Magalir and Annai Theresa, promoted by RUHSA in Vellore, India: To study and compare the impact and success of SHGs in the main village and colony To study the social impact of women s financial empowerment as a result of joining the SHG To study the changes in the women s family as a result of joining SHG To study the impact of joining SHG in family and community health education and awareness.

5 Methodology This research was a cross sectional community based study of SHGs promoted by the Rural Unit for Health and Social Affairs. The SHGs in this study were selected using convenience sampling method. Two of the best performing Self Help Groups were selected; Annai Theresa located in the main village and Anbala Magalir which is located in a colony with inhabited by lower castes- Backward Caste (BC) and Most Backward Caste (MBC). The total number of women interviewed was 35. The project took place in November, Considering the work schedule of the women, it was impossible to conduct individual key informant interviews at households; therefore, the interviews and focus group discussions were conducted during the SHG s weekly meetings. The group discussions ran for about one hour and were facilitated by my translator who is a contracted data collector for RUHSA. Focus group discussion questions will be on the appendix at the end of this paper. The questionnaire was developed based on previous studies conducted at RUHSA in collaboration with students from the University of South Australia. Due to the language barrier, I worked with the translator assigned to me by the RUHSA SHG Project Coordinator. The data was collected using Epidata and analyzed using SPSS.

6 Results: Baseline sociodemographic characteristics SHG Name Anbala Magalir n (%) Annai Theresa n (%) Community Most Backward Caste (MBC) Scheduled caste and Backward Caste (BC) Age <50 11(68.8) 2 (12.5) (18.8) (12.5) (6.2) 9 (56.2) (12.5) 0 >62 2 (12.5) 0 Marital Status Married 14 (87.5) 13 (81.2) Unmarried 2 (12.5) 3 (18.8) Education None 5 (31.2) 0 Primary 6 (37.5) 11 (68.8) Secondary 5 (31.2) 5 (31.2) Skill 10 day Secretary Training 0 3 (18.8) 5 day Secretary Training 0 2 (12.5) RUHSA Training 16 (100%) 11 (68.8) Occupation Housewife 4 (25) 0 Tailor 0 1(6.2) Elderly centre 0 4 (25) Balwadi Staff 0 2 (12.5) 100 days work 4 (25) 7 (43.8) Family Care Volunteer 0 2 (12.5) 100 days work supervisor 2 (12.5) 0 Fish business 4 (25) 0 Farmer 1 (6.2) 0 Coolie 1 (6.2) 0

7 Sociodemographic characteristics of study population: A total of two best performing Self Help Groups were interviewed and each having approximately 38 women. These groups are considered best performing based on the assessment that is done annually. Anbala Magalir, SHG 1, had a total of 22 women while Annai Theresa, SHG 2, had a total of 16 women. Most of the women in SHG 1 were from the Most Backward (MBC) and Backwards Caste (BC). Annai Theresa, SHG 2, had women of mostly women from Schedule Caste. Exact numbers were not recorded because one of the biggest rules of their Self Help Groups was the fact that caste should not be the main identifying factor between the women in the group. With regards to education levels shown in Figure 1.2, there was a high illiteracy level (31.2%) in the SHG 1, (with MBC and BC castes) as opposed to the SHG 2, that had no illiterate women. Similarly, there were more women (25%) who were primarily housewives in the SHG 1 as compared to the SHG 2, which had working in 100 days work- a common local government initiative that falls under The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA). This scheme was established with the purpose of guaranteeing jobs in rural areas. Priority is given to women as one third of the beneficiaries have to be women (Table 1.1). Group dynamics All SHGs are supposed to have a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 20 women per group. Each group I interviewed had selected a leader who acts as the general secretary. The leader usually has some sort of formal training such as the RUHSA 10 secretarial trainings. Among other administrative duties, she is also responsible for record keeping and tracking the finances and group dynamics. Each woman receives a check book each of the books has a financial history of the individual. Group

8 meetings are usually held once a week at the end of the day when the women have completed their daily income earning activities. Objectives for forming a SHG: The objectives for forming the Self Help Groups ranged from social, cultural to economic. Most of the women mentioned that they wanted to join a Self Help Group because to them, being a woman is a double disadvantage. This was primarily because the patriarchal culture hinders their social and economic advancement. More so, BC and MBC castes are among the most socially and culturally marginalized castes, especially considering the fact that they live in designated colonies. Economically, the main goal for forming the SHG was to obtain access to credit and to have a source of income. In order to do so, the women needed to start a collective business which would not only provide them with income earning means but also encourage them to save the money earned. Most of us here are housewives. We wanted to earn our own money and many people in Pasmathur neighborhood do not have access to fish, so we wanted to form a fish business (Nuthan, Anbala Magalir SHG). In addition to seeking income generating opportunities, the women needed a platform that would allow them to obtain the knowledge on how to save money and use services such as banks. This knowledge is often given by training supporting NGOs such as RUHSA. Socially, the women needed enlightenment on social-cultural issues such as the caste system, infanticide, early marriages. Before Joining SHG The women described their life before joining SHG groups as a life with no purpose. They were all almost housewives and their daily lives revolved around doing housework and staying at home. Due to a lack of agency, they also did not have the courage to speak out on matters such as abusive and violent husbands. In addition to that, the women felt like that they lacked the ability to create change

9 at both family and community level. For most of the women, especially those from the Annai Theresa SHG, alcoholism was a major problem in their households. Their husbands would use both their income and the small amount of the income earned by the women for alcohol. Being part of a Self Help Group was a way of giving these women voice, agency and power to stand together and fight against alcoholism and liquor stores at the local government, and create social change. Financial impacts: Several positive financial outcomes have been achieved as a result of joining a Self Help Groups. The SHG allowed the women to save more money. One thing that the women had in common was their experience with money accessibility especially considering the fact that money lenders are still a great part of credit circulation. The women expressed their remorse to money lenders as they told me about the bad experiences that they had hand with money lenders: Money lenders treated us terribly; they even forced us to mortgage our gold and land books (Shifa, Annai Theresa SHG). Moreover, the money lenders would abuse the women and charge them very high interest even if it is for a very small loan. On a positive note, being part of a SHG has enabled the women to have access to money as when needed for medical, marriage ceremonies and even house construction. Changes in the family At family level, the women are now able to send their children to school. Most of the women expressed their content in the fact that they can now even send their children to English medium schools as opposed to the local Tamil government schools. It was comforting to see how the women were proud of the fact that they could afford to send their children to pursue higher education and professional degrees regardless of the fact that they belong to lower castes. Moreover, the husbands are now accepting their wives decisions in the family. In fact, after seeing the social and economic

10 growth of the women, their husbands are even allowing asking them to make the decisions in the family- especially those that have to do with education and household spending. With regards to women s self- confidence and acceptance in the village, the women have been able to attend trainings, gain knowledge, education and express their own talents. We have a strong group and people respect us. We were awarded by the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for being a very disciplined group in We also received appreciation letter from the Chief Minister in Tamil Nadu in 1994 (Rathinammal, Annai Theresa SHG). For instance, the women of Annai Theresa have also been on the front line of organizing educational drama events. The women are now more respected in the village because of what they stand for as a group and what they have been able to accomplish. Health education The biggest advantage for these women with regards to health care and health awareness is the fact that they are now have better understanding of health issues and they can also educate other people in the community. The biggest benefit for these women with regards to health is the fact that they now know where to get services such as cervical cancer screening, diabetes clinic, nutrition and maternal clinic- all of which are available at the RUHSA hospital. The women of both Anbala Magalir and Annai Theresa also attended HIV training as part of the RUHSA Self Help Group trainings. Above all, the major accomplishments that the women took pride in was the fact that every woman has a toilet in her household, something that they didn t all have. Health is important for us women. In our group, we were able to use profit from our earnings and now we have an ambulance for our Melkavanur area. (Rajammal, Annai Theresa SHG).

11 They have been on the fore front of educating women (and men) who are not part of any Self Help Group. It is through such changes and initiatives that the women can promote health both within their households but also in the community. Conclusion: Empowerment is the process of moving someone from a position of enforced powerlessness to one of power. Women empowerment is a strengthens their ability to not only gain access to resources, but also gain agency over their lives and aspects such as confidence, agency, financial emancipation, just to mention a few, that matter in their lives. Women Self Help groups have been a vital tool for enhancing women s participation and progress in various aspects of life. Like many SHG members in India, the women of Annai Theresa and Anbala Magalir have been able enforce and be part of the benefits of belonging to such a group. At family level, these women have gained the power to assert their voice in their matters such as girl s education, keeping finances, and respect from their husbands. Moreover, economic empowerment from women being part of SHGs has led to the advancement of families especially with regards to female education. Social initiatives such as drama clubs and spread of awareness by these women have been very instrumental in spreading awareness on cultural practices such as female infanticide. All in all, Self Help Groups have great potential. Women as well need to be encouraged to continue seeking change at individual family level, community and eventually national level. There is still need for more incentives on women to join SHGs and for organizations, both government and non-government, to support women in this cause. It is an initiative that other countries facing disparities based on gender, can adopt.

12 Count Count Figures Anbala Magalir Annai Theresa 2 0 < >62 Age group Figure 1.1 Graphical representation of the age group distribution in the Self Help Group study population Anbala Magalir Annai Theresa 2 0 None Primary Secondary Eduation level Figure 1.2 Graphical representation of the educational level of the members of the Self Help Group study population

13 Count Anbala Magalir Annai Theresa 0 Occupation Figure 1.2 Graphical representations of the occupations of the members of the Self Help Group study population

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