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Self Help Groups and empowerment of women: Self-selection or actual benefits?

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  • Husain, Zakir
  • Mukherjee, Diganta
  • Dutta, Mousumi

Abstract

Evidence on success of SHGs in empowering females is mixed. In particular, researchers argue that such schemes often attract women who are already active in the public domain (referred to as ‘self-selection’), so that those who are most in need of assistance remain excluded. Simultaneously, the fact that a majority of the SHG members are already empowered leads to exaggerated estimates of the effects of the program (called ‘program effects’). This paper attempts to test the significance of the program effect of SHGs by comparing empowerment levels of newly inducted and older members of SHGs. The paper is based on a survey conducted in six municipalities in West Bengal, India.

Suggested Citation

  • Husain, Zakir & Mukherjee, Diganta & Dutta, Mousumi, 2010. "Self Help Groups and empowerment of women: Self-selection or actual benefits?," MPRA Paper 20765, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:20765
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Pitt, M.M. & Khandker, S.R., 1996. "Household and Intrahousehold Impact of the Grameen Bank and Similar Targeted Credit Programs in Bangladesh," World Bank - Discussion Papers 320, World Bank.
    2. Hashemi, Syed M. & Schuler, Sidney Ruth & Riley, Ann P., 1996. "Rural credit programs and women's empowerment in Bangladesh," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 24(4), pages 635-653, April.
    3. Schuler, Sidney Ruth & Hashemi, Syed M. & Riley, Ann P. & Akhter, Shireen, 1996. "Credit programs, patriarchy and men's violence against women in rural Bangladesh," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 43(12), pages 1729-1742, December.
    4. Goetz, Anne Marie & Gupta, Rina Sen, 1996. "Who takes the credit? Gender, power, and control over loan use in rural credit programs in Bangladesh," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 24(1), pages 45-63, January.
    5. Kabeer, Naila, 2001. "Conflicts Over Credit: Re-Evaluating the Empowerment Potential of Loans to Women in Rural Bangladesh," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 29(1), pages 63-84, January.
    6. Hulme, David, 2000. "Impact Assessment Methodologies for Microfinance: Theory, Experience and Better Practice," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 79-98, January.
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    Cited by:

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    2. repec:kqi:journl:2017-1-2 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Shankar Ghimire & Taylor Rigatti & Nicholas Sexton, 2017. "Effect of Credit Cooperatives in Employment Generation: Evidence from Rural Nepal," Journal of Development Innovations, KarmaQuest International, vol. 1(1), pages 29-44, February.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Empowerment; Self Help Groups; Non-parametric tests; Self-selection effect; India; Asia;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • C25 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Discrete Regression and Qualitative Choice Models; Discrete Regressors; Proportions; Probabilities

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