Impact of Self-Help Groups on Growth of Women Entrepreneurs – A Review

Entrepreneurship plays an eminent function in creating an avenue for employability for rural communities, providing self-employment for those who have started-up a Business of their own and enhancing the economic status of the rural sector as well. Women entrepreneurs may be defined as the women or a group of women who initiate, organize and operate a business enterprise. Self-help group is a small voluntary association of poor people preferably from the same socio-economic back drop. They have been recognized as useful tool to help the poor and as an alternative mechanism to meet the urgent credit needs of poor through thrift. SHGs enhance the equality of status of women as participants, decision-makers and beneficiaries in the democratic, economic, social and cultural spheres of life. The paper tries to focus upon the role of self-help groups in promoting women entrepreneurs. Methodology used is secondary data published in books, articles in Journals, internet sources etc. The role played by self-help groups beyond access to finance and employability needs to be considered to promote holistic and sustainable entrepreneurship. Paper deliberates upon this fact and conclusion and suggestions have been provided.

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