kudumbashree self help group case study

25 years of Kudumbashree: How this Kerala women’s collective intervened to empower women, fight poverty

Whenever Kerala plunged into a deep crisis, be it floods or the pandemic, Kudumbashree has been there with the state and its people through thick and thin

By K A Shaji

Published: thursday 18 may 2023.

In her maiden visit to Kerala on May 17, 2023, President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the silver jubilee celebrations of Kudumbashree, the largest self-help group network in the country.

The president had also released a handbook titled  chuvadu (f ootsteps) that codified ideas for the movement’s future and the achievements it has gained so far.

For the organisation, the silver jubilee marked a self-assessment of its achievements, examining the quality of life of its members, planning the future of neighbourhood groups and micro-level planning on sustainable development goals.

While inaugurating the valedictory of the celebrations, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan urged the movement to evolve steps to uplift 64,006 families in the state identified as struggling with extreme poverty.

Also read:   COVID-19: Kerala fights hunger — several steps at a time

While looking back, Kudumbashree has evolved and transformed significantly in the last 25 years. Five years ago, when the worst flood of the last hundred years inundated most parts of Kerala, Kudumbashree donated Rs 7 crore to the Chief Minister’s distress relief fund. That amount equalled contributions from tech giants Google and Apple and Rs 3 crore more than the contributions of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

What further made the contribution distinct was Kudumbashree’s conceptualisation years ago as an all-women poverty alleviation programme with members hailing primarily from lower-income families of the state.

Most of the Kudumbashree workers themselves were victims of the flood that perished houses, destroyed livelihoods and washed away all means of their livelihood. But all those disturbing factors failed to disspirit these women, who were eager to contribute their maximum to the distress relief fund to help those who suffered more than them.

Each  ayalkoottam ( neighbourhood group) under Kudumbashree collected a week’s income from their members to contribute to the fund. Profits from micro-enterprises like retail outlets and eateries operated by the neighbourhood groups had also formed part of the amount handed over to the chief minister’s fund.

After the flood, the women’s collective initiated a massive cleaning drive in which they cleaned and sanitised over 0.15 million flood-affected houses and 5,000 public places. The organisation also counselled over 8,000 families who faced psychological trauma due to the severe destruction caused by the incessant rains and floods.

Across the state, it operated community kitchens and rehabilitation camps, and through them, it set a benchmark for women’s empowerment for larger social causes.  What is remarkable amid all these is that the weekly contribution of a member of the neighbourhood group to the organisation is nothing but a humble Rs 10.

In the COVID-19-induced pandemic days, when Kerala’s once hailed, robust healthcare system faced challenges, Kudumbashree got another opportunity for rapid interventions providing people relief and safeguards. Apart from manufacturing and supplying masks and sanitisers, it arranged covid treatment centres with the help of local bodies. In many local bodies, Kumbashree was the nodal agency for COVID management.

Also read:  What does NFHS-5 data tell us about state of women empowerment in India

In the lockdown days, one of the biggest contributions of Kudumbashree was its ‘Janakeeya Hotels’ across the state, which ensure quality food to the needy at an affordable rate. Even those in home quarantine and isolation benefited from this initiative and its brilliant distribution network. Currently, Kudumbasree has 125 restaurants offering a sumptuous meal at Rs 20.

Kumbashree began as a cluster of microcredit neighbourhood groups with thrift and credit activities, creating many crisis managers and entrepreneurs of humble origins over the years. The collective transformed ordinary women from poverty-ridden families into agents of change and recovery in critical times like the flood and the pandemic.

It also contributed many women leaders to Kerala, where male domination still prevails despite its so-called progressive moorings.  While it was launched in Malappuram 25 years ago by Prime Minister AB Vajpayee, the organisation’s aim was heralded as bringing women confined within the four walls of their household to the mainstream.

In the subsequent years, Kerala has witnessed how those women became part and parcel of grassroots planning for employment generation, poverty alleviation and women empowerment. It ensured the large-scale mobilisation of women in community activities across the state. On the occasion of the silver jubilee, Kudumbashree has evolved into a huge network that is integrated with more than half of the families in the state, and it can grasp the community’s changing needs.

Between the government and the common people, it’s an easy connection. That bonding helped it explore many fields, including micro-enterprising, social collectives, agricultural initiatives, rural development projects, running palliative care units and forging compassion initiatives.  It also made rapid strides in the empowerment of Dalit and tribal women.

Though learned critics still accuse the organisation of failing to evolve gender perspectives capable of addressing changed strategic gender roles and formulating a powerful critical alternative development model, its contributions are unmatchable in reducing poverty significantly.  It also facilitated numerous women’s initiatives across the state, reinforcing the concept of gender-free participatory development.

In all these years, the mission implemented a process approach overriding pressures to adopt a project approach.  Now, Kudumbashree is Kerala’s biggest social capital. Its members have risen to become elected members of the three-tier local bodies after enforcing the 33 per cent women reservation (in Kerala local bodies, the percentage of reservations is 50).

Also read:  Collective response: Group farming helps small, landless farmers amid COVID-19 pandemic

Interestingly, Kudumbashree was launched against the 1996 People’s Plan Campaign of the then EK Nayanar-led Left Democratic Front.  From the beginning, it has been functioning under the local self-government department by accepting financial support from the union government and NABARD.

At the primary level, Kudumbasree is the collective of Neighbourhood Groups (NHG).  Area Development Societies (ADS) at the ward level and Community Development Societies (CDS) at the local government level. The organisation currently has 306,551 NHGs, 19,470 ADSs and 1070 CDSs.

In addition to that, in 2021, Kudumbashree launched auxiliary groups for the social and economic empowerment of young women aged 18-40 years and to offer income-generating opportunities to educated women and give them a platform for making social interventions as well as the financial development of their families.  It has over 302,595 members as of now.

Kudumbashree is currently undertaking consultancy work on women empowerment in 13 other states.  The major contribution attributed to it is a reduction in poverty levels in the state. Various studies and surveys, including the latest Multidimensional Poverty Index by NITI Aayog itself, stand as a testimony to this.

While on the one hand, Kudumbashree stands as a champion for women empowerment, the alarming increases in atrocities against women, including sexual assaults, mental harassment, dowry deaths and suicides, especially among married women, indicates that Kudumbashree has to come up in the coming days with strong movements and decisions to eliminate these evils.

Along with economic empowerment and political empowerment, there is a need for mental and cultural empowerment. Kerala has often been described as a ‘gender paradox’; coming out of this ‘gender paradox’ will be a litmus test for the Kudumbashree in the coming years. The organisation has to emerge as a strong counter-culture force to eliminate the crimes and evils committed against women.

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Research Paper Impact Factor: 3.029 IJMSRR Peer Reviewed & Indexed Journal E- ISSN - 2349-6746 www.ijmsrr.com ISSN -2349-6738 ROLE OF KUDUMBASHREE (SELF HELP GROUPS) UNITS IN ENTREPRENEURIAL EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN - A STUDY FOCUSED TO MUTHUTHALA GRAMA PANCHAYAT AREA, KERALA

VK Muralidharan Assistant Professor, Department of Commerce & Management Studies,Govt. Sanskrit College, Pattambi , Palakkad Dt, Kerala, India . Abstract The fulfillment of any development process of an economy, the participation of women with men is highly inevitable, and that will only be considered as the real and equality based social development. Kudumbasree is really a joint endeavor of Government of Kerala and NABARD structured through the community development societies of women in the lower financial strata serving with the Local Self Government in the community development activities. Women will get different dimensions of empowerment like personal empowerment, professional empowerment, social empowerment, entrepreneurial empowerment through the active participation in Kudumbasree units. Even though Kerala is a state having high literacy rate but lacking the above mentioned developmental dimensions of women and the active engagement in Kudumbasree units is the solution for different achievements. Among all dimensions the entrepreneurial empowerment is projecting and focusing here. If many women are having entrepreneurial empowerment and coming forward boldly in the field of business and industry is the result of the real social equality. This study focuses the role of Kudumbasree and its influence on the entrepreneurial empowerment on women. This study focused to the randomly selected sixty units of mixed nature from Muthuthala Grama Panchayat, Palakkad district , Kerala State. Kudumbasree is really an initiative for poverty eradication and working in the model of Self Help Group.

Key Words :Kudumbashree, Women Empowerment, Poverty eradication, Self confidence, Self Help Group.

Introduction The crucial problem in all developing countries in the world is poverty. As far as India is concerned Kerala is considered one of the most successful states in poverty reduction rate. The success primarily due to the public action carrying out effective lead reforms and providing all round social infrastructures, particularly education and health. Women households are the cruelest victims of deprivation and destitution. Therefore, any program for poverty alleviation must aim at improving the living environment of the women folk. Kerala seeks to achieve a breakthrough in poverty reduction through decentralization of the state government and empowerment of women groups. It is through creating livelihood opportunities for the women that they can be empowered and the micro credit and self help groupings are a better means through which their living conditions can be improved. Planning and development policies for the eradication of poverty in rural areas have been started since the inception of five year plans. Kudumbashree was started by the government of Kerala in 1998 with the dual purpose of women empowerment and poverty alleviation. It is a women based participatory poverty eradication programme by government of Kerala with the financial support of NABARD and the central government. Meaning of ‘Kudumbashree’ is prosperity of family. In the world population the share of women is about half. In traditional societies women were confine to the four walls of the houses performing household activities. In modern societies women are participating in all sort of activities. Women have been performing exceedingly well in different sphere activities like education, politics, administration, space, social work and so on. Now these women entrepreneurs are generated through the

International Journal of Management and Social Science Research Review, Vol-1, Issue-10, April -2015 Page

300 Research Paper Impact Factor: 3.029 IJMSRR Peer Reviewed & Indexed Journal E- ISSN - 2349-6746 www.ijmsrr.com ISSN -2349-6738 Kudumbashree units. So Kudumbashree units are motivated by these entrepreneurs. Through the active participation and involvement women will get personal empowerment, entrepreneurial empowerment, social empowerment. Among these entrepreneurial empowerment is having much important in the social dimensions of equality. This study is focused to an ideally selected rural area, Muthuthala Grama Panjchayat which is located in Pattambi Taluk , Palakkad District, Kerala State.

Significance of the Study And Statement of The Problem Government of India has declared that the year 2001 as 'Women's empowerment year' on a focus that on a social platform women are equal to men. The most common explanation of 'women's empowerment' is the ability to exercise full control over one's actions. The major objective of Kudumbashree units are poverty eradication, women empowerment and achieving self sufficiency. To bring the women to the main stream of society by engaging them in various creative activities is the main aim behind forming Kudumbashree units. Kerala is a state with enormous number of educated male and female with high potential but we can see male domination in almost all segments in the social set up. The main reason for such a scenario is the social and cultural setup of our state and the reluctance from the part of educated women to undertake the risk by engaging in entrepreneurial activities. In such a situation emergence of Kudumbashree units with ample opportunities for women to came forward by engaging in entrepreneurial activities and thereby achieving overall empowerment. In view of the present circumstances it is quite necessary to conduct an object oriented study focused on an ideal area to identify and evaluate the role of Kudumbashree units providing entrepreneurial empowerment on rural women. Objectives of the Study The study has the following objectives: 1. To identify and study the problems faced by women as an entrepreneurs. 2. To study the changes in degree of economic and social empowerment of rural women through Kudumbashree units. 3. To study and evaluate the role of Kudumbashree units in empowering the entrepreneurial skills of rural women. Methodology Adopted Major part of this study is based on primary data but for some analysis and explanations secondary data also used. Primary data collected from a randomly selected sixty respondents, from the members of selected Kudumbasree units, ADS and CDS members in the Panchayat on a random basis. The whole analysis has been made based on the primary data collected through a well structured questionnaire and secondary data has collected from books, articles, Journals and websites. Appropriate tools have been used for data analysis. review of literature Umadevi, R (2013) conducted an intensive study on the role of self help groups in empowering women in India. Economic empowerment of women led to the empowerment of women in several diamensions such as socio- economic opportunity, property rights, political representation, social equality, personal rights, family development, and community development and at last the nation development.

Puhazhendhi and Satyasai (2001) in their study attempted to evaluate the performance of SHGs with special reference to social and economic empowerment. This study reveals that the SHGs as institutional arrangement could positively contribute to the economic and social empowerment of rural poor. The impact on the later is more pronounced than on the former.

301 Research Paper Impact Factor: 3.029 IJMSRR Peer Reviewed & Indexed Journal E- ISSN - 2349-6746 www.ijmsrr.com ISSN -2349-6738 Gurumoorthy (2000) proclaims that empowering women results social and economic progress and which is quite inevitable in any country. The self-help group disburses micro-credit to the rural women for the purpose of making them enterprising women and encouraging them to enter into entrepreneurial activities. Credit needs of the rural women are fulfilled totally through the self-help groups. Jaya S. Anand (2002), has opined in her paper titled “Self-Help Groups in Empowering Women: Case Study of Selected SHGs and NHGs”, gives a review of progress of Self Help Groups. She has attempted to examine the performance of selected SHGs and NHGs and to assess its impact, especially the impact of micro credit programme on empowering women. It has been clearly established that delivering credit alone may not produce the desired impact. Minimol M.C and Makesh KG (2012): This study identified that Intellectual empowerment is considered more important, or at least equally important to social, economic or financial empowerment. The concept of personal empowerment often fails to encompass intellectual empowerment.

Meenakshi Malhotra (2004): This work entitled, “Empowerment of Women” deals with the issues leading to empowerment of women with particular reference to rural women. Volume one deals with issues like gender inequalities in labour market and in entrepreneurship. Sanjay Kanti Das (2012): This study indicated that SHG-Bank Linkage of micro finance programme has a profound influence on the economic status, decision making power, knowledge and self worthiness of women participants of SHG linkage programme in Assam. Working Structure of Kudumbasree Kudumbashree, the poverty eradication mission of Kerala state, is a community based self help initiative involving poor women. It was launched by government of Kerala in 1998 with the active support of government of India and NABARD for wiping out absolute poverty within a period of 10 years. The project is implemented through local self governments empowered by some constitutional amendments. The structure of Kudumbashree is a three tiers Community Based Organization for its decentralized effective administration. The lowest tier is the Neighborhood Group (NHG) consisting of some women members from poor families conducting meeting on a weekly basis in the house of any of the members. Second tier is the Area Development Society (ADS) which is in the ward level consisting a convenient group of NHGs. The third tier is Community Development Society (CDS) is the higher one and which is the union of all the ADSs in the Local Self Government body. The selected area of study, Muthuthala Grama Panjchayat is located in Pattambi Taluk, Palakkad District, Kerala State and which is purely a rural area. This Panchayat consists of 15 wards and total population of this Grama Panchayath is 24,451 and the number of men and women are respectively 12129 and 12322. There are 175 Kudumbashree units are working in this Panchayat. Majority of the Kudumbashree units are entering in to the micro investment projects and these units are investing different projects like Tailoring unit, Bakery, Flour mill, Pappad manufacturing, Bamboo works, Dairy farm, Food products making. Discussions on Data Analysis Normal working (Conducting Meetings, Participation of Members, Way of participation & Contribution in day to day affairs : All units conduct meetings regularly as per rules and the average participation is 80% out of this 70% actively participating and involving in the day to day activities. members of 60% units provide fruitful contribution for the effective of units. Loan lending process, Purpose & Utility: Majority of the units are providing loans to the members and some units of the units do not provide loan because these units started recently and the lending capacity is less. Majority (36%) availing loan for meeting family expenses, some for treatment

302 Research Paper Impact Factor: 3.029 IJMSRR Peer Reviewed & Indexed Journal E- ISSN - 2349-6746 www.ijmsrr.com ISSN -2349-6738 purposes, some for some production purposes and minute category for miscellaneous purposes. Majority (96%) have effectively utilised and some have the opinion that the amount is insufficient. Activities conducted (Income generated, Non income generated & Service oriented activities) : From the above Table it is clear that 90% of units are engaged in income generating activities. That is they are engaged in small scale production oriented activities. Only 10% are engaged in non income generating activities. This means that units are interested in those activities which generate income to the members. The active participation in the service oriented activities is comparatively less.

Establishment of Small business unit & Nature of ownership: Majority units (66%) started small seperate production oriented small business units most of them concentrated in manufacturing of food items. The details are given in the given table and this shows the real process of entrepreneurial empowerment of women.

Types of business units Sl. No Nature of business unit Percentage 1 Tailoring 17 2 Bakery 10 3 Animal husbandry 13 Manufacturing of food 4 40 products 5 Agriculture 8 6 Rice and flour 7 7 Fancy shop 2 8 Others 3 9 Total 100 Source : Primary data

303 Research Paper Impact Factor: 3.029 IJMSRR Peer Reviewed & Indexed Journal E- ISSN - 2349-6746 www.ijmsrr.com ISSN -2349-6738 Capital requirement & Sources: Majority (35%) of the units have a capital investment less than 50000 and the lowest investment is above 2,00,000 which is by only 5%. 25% of the units fall under the range 50000-100000.15% of the units had invested capital of 100000- 150000. About 20% units fall under the category of 150000-200000. Majority has a mix of source that is own capital and borrowed capital from banks and other financial institutions. Meeting the capital requirement is really a problem.

Nature of workers in the unit & Training requirement: The study reveals that majority of work are performed by unit members and only a small percentage of units render the service of outsiders to do work, which requires skilled persons. The availability of the trained workers is rally a problem.

Problems in marketing: The marketing problems have categories in to eight as per the table given below and instructed to rank them all according to their choice (highest problem comes 10, then 9 etc.). The total and percentage of rank values have taken and analysed and from this it is inferred that the most serious problem is the inadequacy of capital which comes 28%, other problems and its relative percentage can also be taken from the table. Marketing problems - Ranking statement Sl. No Nature of problem Rank values Percentage 1 Inadequate capital 605 28 2 Lack of skilled staff 401 19 3 Poor customer relation 272 13 4 Negligence from public 96 4 5 Negligence from dealers 75 3 6 Quality of products 20 1 7 Lack of advertisement 390 18 8 Competition 301 14 1 Total 2160 00 Source : Primary data

304 Research Paper Impact Factor: 3.029 IJMSRR Peer Reviewed & Indexed Journal E- ISSN - 2349-6746 www.ijmsrr.com ISSN -2349-6738 Difficulties and Failure of SBU’s : Only four units closed their businesses due to several reasons but still they are running other business units. The competition, marketing problems, capital inadequacy, lack of advertising and the perishable nature of products are the reasons which leads poor profit and shutting down. Non co-operation from members also another reason for that.

Necessity of women to be an earning member, Improvement in decision making skill and Attitude of family members: The decision making skill of the members improved a lot through joining in units. 67% of the respondents had the opinion that their decision making skill improved to great extent. Majority of the respondents have the opinion that the women must be an earning member of the family and a very negligible percent is against that. If the woman is an earning member it provide great support to the family in meeting the expenses. About 80% of the unit’s members have the opinion that their families are highly supportive while the engage in business activities.

Attitude of society and success in eliminating the gender gap : Society’s attitude towards an earning member is favourable with the support of 73% of the respondents remaining 27% had the opinion that even after the developments the society’s attitude is not so favourable. Elimination of gender gap is one of the objective of kudumbashree units. 35% are strongly believe that Kudumbashree succeeded in eliminating the gender gap completely. 33% had the opinion that kudumbashree achieved this objective to some extent.

Increase of general awareness,Achievement of objectives and Improvement in Standard of living : Majority (67%) opined that their general awareness increased through the daily engagements and interactions in the kudumbashree units and this really made personal competency and a minute percentage claims that nothing created them internally. Majority agrees that their objective achievements are fulfilled standard of living improved a lot after joining kudumbashree unit.

Overall benefits and empowerment gained : Majority has opined that they gained the expected benefits as a result of the active involvement in Kudumbasree units. That is Social benefits, Economic benefits, Personal benefits, Psychological benefits and Entrepreneurial benefits. This really leads to the overall empowerment of women. Majority (94%) on an overall basis opined that they have certain extend empowered and have self confidence to face the challenges in the day to day life.

Findings of the Study The members of the Units consist APL and BPL members and majority of the members belongs to BPL Category. All units are conducting meeting regularly and active participation of members. Most of the members are actively participating in the meeting by contributing ideas in discussion. Passive participation some members due to their shyness to express ideas. All most all units lending loans to its members for various purposes with a very low rate of interest and this helps the unit members to provide support to family. Most of the units are engaged in income generating or non income generating activities. Among the income generating activities majority concentrates in the production of food items. Majority of the units have small business units and the individual ownership is very few and some units have more than one units. The nature of units are Tailoring, Bakery, fancy shops, cultivation, rice and flour mills, fancy shops etc. Nobody is ready to take up the projects of huge investment because of the risk and inadequate capital. Many opted the bank loan as the source of capital since this is very cheap and easy to avail and they also get subsidy and other benefits. Business with own fund is comparatively less but some have mixed sources. The major difficulties faced by them are shortage of capital, lack of trained employees, marketing problems, personal and family problems. Majority of the

305 Research Paper Impact Factor: 3.029 IJMSRR Peer Reviewed & Indexed Journal E- ISSN - 2349-6746 www.ijmsrr.com ISSN -2349-6738 business units are run by the members themselves and only a limited number is depending outsiders. Non availability of skilled staff is really a major problem. They are also suffer some problems in the marketing of products that is lack of skilled marketing personnel, poor customer relations, negligence from dealers and public. The main reason for failure in the business is the ineffective use of capital and marketing problems. The family of majority of members are supportive. On an overall basis the active involvement in the Kudumbasree Units really brought them some capacities and benefits like personal benefit, economic benefit, social benefit, psychological benefit, professional or entrepreneurial benefits and competencies.

They also gained the enhancement of general knowledge and awareness level, communication level, interaction level, decision making level etc. In their opinion it is a must that the women much be an earning member in the family. Even though Kerala is a state having much literacy and education still the attitude towards women is not favourable. Any way the general competencies as an entrepreneur has enhanced and majority are ready to face the normal challenges in conducting small business units.

Suggestions of the Study Participation of women in Kudumbashree units need to be increased. The Panchayath under the guidance of KDMS can take many steps like conducting awareness programs about the benefits of Kudumbashree units for attracting more members in all facets of. Active participation of the members to be ensured by making aware them about the benefits. All the units must take necessary steps to grand loan to its members at lower interest rate. Government must provide information and assistance to invest confidently in heavy projects. All units have to be encouraged to starts small business units by providing proper guidance, financial assistance and training to the members. The training facility is to be given to the members to eliminate their fear.

Government must provide much interest free or low interest loans through primary co-operative societies. Panchayat level training centers have to be set up and continues training must be given to enhance the level of confidence of members. To eliminate the serious problem of marketing, it must be provide certain basis level marketing strategies by using the experts in this field. Government should provide the services of experts for timely consultancy in every Panchayat in order to solve the timely issues. The interests of the members can be increased if they get a good profit and sharing this among the members immediately after keeping a certain amount for expansion. Administrative wing must take necessary steps to aware the women the various benefits that they can gain through Kudumbashree units.

Conclusion Kudumbashree became the lifeline to many of the poor women in the state of Kerala. It is a massive anti poverty programme of the Government of Kerala aiming at eradicating poverty. As a conclusion we can say that Kudumbashree units in Muthuthala Panchayat play an important role in the overall development of this Panchayat. Majority of the units have work for the achievement of women empowerment objectives and to a great extend they gain the same. Through starting SBU’s Kudumbashree units provide earnings to the members and results in economic empowerment and conducting the small units the Entrepreneurial empowerment is also possible to a great extend.

306 Research Paper Impact Factor: 3.029 IJMSRR Peer Reviewed & Indexed Journal E- ISSN - 2349-6746 www.ijmsrr.com ISSN -2349-6738 References 1. http://www.kudumbashree.org 2. Kochurani, Joseph, Women Empowerment a Conceptual Analysis (Vimala Books and Publications, Kanjirappally , 2005). 3. Government of Kerala, (1999-2000), Kudumbashree Project: State Poverty Eradication Mission, Annual Report 1999-2000, (Local Self Government Department, Thiruvananthapuram , Kerala, India). 4. Suneetha Kadiyala, Scaling up Kudumbashree Collective Action for Poverty Alleviation and women’s Empowerment, International Food Policy Research Institute, U.S.A. May 2004 5. Nidheesh K B, Rural Women’s Empowerment Is the Best Strategy for Poverty Eradication in Rural Areas, International Journal of Rural studies, Vol 15 No 2 Oct 2008. 6. K. Sayulu, G. Sardar & B. Sridevi, Impact of Self-Help Groups on Women Empowerment- An Empirical Study, Management Researcher, XI No.3 & 4, January – June 2005. 7. Ruby, J A ,Microfinance and women empowerment: a study of Kudumbasree Project in Kerala, doctoral diss., MG university, Kottayam , 2013 8. R. Gurumoorthy, Self-help groups empower rural women, Kurukshetra, vol.48, no.5 (2000), 22. 9. V. Puhazhendhi and K.J.S. Satyasai, Economic and social empowerment of rural poor through SHG's., Indian Journal of Agricultural Economics, vol. 56, no.3 (2001),362. 10. Sakuntala, Narasimhan, Empowering Women, an Alternative Strategy from Rural India (New Delhi, Sage Publications India Pvt. Ltd, 1999). 11. Anand , Jaya S, Self-Help Groups in Empowering Women: A Study of selected SHGs and NHGs in Kerala, KKRPLLD, Centre for Development Studies, Trivandrum, Kerala, India,1999. 12. Meenakshi Malhotra, Empowerment of Women (In Three Volumes (Delhi, Isha Books, 2004). 13. J. Bhagyalakashmi, Women’s Empowerment - Miles to Go, Yojana, 48 No.8, August 2004, 38- 41. 14. V P Raghavan, Micro-credit and Empowerment: a study of Kudumbashree Projects in Kerala, India, Journal of Rural Development, Vol. 28, No. (4), NIRD, Hyderabad.2009, Pp 478-479. 15. Minimol M. C and Makesh K. G, Empowering rural women in Kerala: A study on the role of Self Help Groups (SHGs) International 16. Journal of Sociology and Anthropology Vol. 4(9), November, 2012, 270-280, 17. Sanjay Kanti Das, Socio-Economic Empowerment of Women through SHG-Banking Linkage Programme: A Boon for Development; International Journal of Management and Business Studies; Vol. 2, Issue 1, Jan. - March 2012 18. Kenneth Kalyani, Seena P.C, Socio-economic Changes of Women through Kudumbasree– A Study from Puthenvelikkara (Gp) of 19. Kerala State, India , International Research Journal of Social Sciences, Vol. 1(2), 1-7, October (2012)

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• UNIQUENESS OF 'KUDUMBASHREE' SHG IN KERALA

Uniqueness of 'Kudumbashree' SHG in Kerala

What is the issue?

• The 'Kudumbashree' women in Kerala played a significant role in the relief operations after the recent floods.
• It is essential in this backdrop to understand how 'Kudumbashree' is effective and different from other Self Help Groups (SHGs).

What is 'Kudumbashree'?

• The 'Kudumbashree' SHG was started in 1998 by the CPI (M)-led government in Kerala.
• The Kudumbashree groups are, however, not affiliated to any political party.
• It was envisioned as a part of the People’s Plan Campaign and local self-governance, with women at the centre of it.
• In its conceptualisation, it was markedly different from the self-help group (SHG) movements in many parts of India.
• The thrift and credit activities at the grassroots level through the formations of saving groups is a common feature.
• However, the structure and functioning of the Kudumbashree model largely differed.

What is the governance structure?

• Kudumbashree has a three-tier structure.
• The first is the basic unit which is the neighbourhood groups (NGs).
• There could be several such units within a ward and they are networked through the area development societies (ADS).
• All ADSs are federated through the community development societies (CDS).
• There are core committees of elected coordinators at all three levels.
• There are at least five in each NG, seven or more at the ADS level and around 21 at the CDS level.
• Unlike in other States, all the coordinators are elected in Kerala.
• Each Kudumbashree member has a vote, and direct elections for the NG coordinators are held every three years.
• These people, in turn, elect the coordinators of the ADS who elect the members of the CDS.
• A majority of members of the coordinator groups have to belong to women below the poverty line or from comparatively poorer sections.
• Besides, there is reservation for Dalit and Adivasi women.
• At the district and State levels, employees/officers of the government are appointed on deputation to help the Kudumbashree groups.

What are the other features?

• The micro-enterprises undertaken by the women NGs in Kerala strengthen the community bonds.
• The firms include that for organic vegetable growing, poultry and dairy, catering and tailoring.
• The community farms run by Kudumbashree groups are now acknowledged as a critical avenue for the rejuvenation of agricultural production in Kerala.
• Kudumbashree training courses are also quite comprehensive, and include
• women’s rights
• knowledge of constitutional and legal provisions
• training in banking practices
• training in skills to set up micro-enterprises
• It has thus made a huge contribution in socially empowering the women of Kerala.

How is it a unique model?

• In other States, SHGs came to be dominated by women from better-off families or from powerful castes.
• This led to unhealthy hierarchies in which poorer women and Dalit women were denied decision-making powers.
• Over the years, women dropped out from these sections for a number of reasons.
• Eventually, the social potential of the SHGs to challenge dominant structures of gender bias at the local level weakened.
• But, the Kudumbashree model works with a socially representative leadership.
• This secular composition acts as a facilitator for the secularisation of public spaces.
• This ‘Made in Kerala’ model can be implemented across India, if it is done with the same secular and gender-sensitive spirit.

Source: The Hindu

Enforcing Manual Scavenging Law

Highlights of hdi report.