Role of Civil Society Organisations in Women Empowerment: A Study of SKDRDP, India

Civil society organisations (CSOs) or the third sector play an important role in the welfare and development of people. Civil society organisations are keen observers of people’s needs. Not only do they raise the concerns of people but they also monitor the state’s responses to people’s needs. A role of civil society organisations that is the most unrecognised is their demonstration of innovative approaches towards development-related issues. Based on some successful innovations, the state can formulate larger policies. Thus, CSOs have been recognised as the change-makers of the society. As women comprise half of the total population, without their participation and contribution, balanced and sustainable development is impossible. Therefore, it is crucial to address women’s issues and involve them in the development process, which is one of the major contributions of civil society organisations. The approach that women should be participants in their development process and not just passive recipients of development programmes has emerged through the work done for women’s empowerment. The third sector has shown a successful demonstration of women’s participation in development processes. In a country like India where patriarchal domination exists, women’s empowerment and their participation in development becomes a challenge. It is fundamental to create women’s access to resources and provide hand-holding when they take up entrepreneurial activities. Shri Kshethra Dharmasathala Rural Development Project (SKDRDP), a civil society organisation has done pioneering work for women’s empowerment. The process started with forming women’s self-help saving groups and provision of microcredit facilities; later on, extending to support for self-employment opportunities, insurance, and so on. The present chapter elaborates a case study of SKDRDP’s model of women empowerment, its impact on women, and involvement of local women as village level workers in the process of planning and implementation of development programmes. This chapter is based on the study conducted in Udupi district in the Indian state of Karnataka in 2016–17. The study particularly explores women empowerment programmes like SHG (Self-Help Group) and SHG with JVK (Janan Vikas Group) implemented by SKDRDP. The study focuses on (1) understanding the socio-economic empowerment of women through SHG programmes and (2) the impact of capacity building programmes. For the said study, both quantitative and qualitative research methods were used. The selection of respondents was done through multistage stratified sampling method using various criteria. The study depicts the empowerment of women in various spheres of their lives. More than 50% of women were engaged in income-generating activities. In addition to social empowerment, political empowerment was also evident. The present chapter is an effort to document the successful demonstration of civil society organisations and scientifically analyse their contribution to women’s development and empowerment.