s screened (n = 3498) Records excluded (n = 3136) Full-text articles assessed for eligibility (n = 362) Full-text articles excluded, with reasons (n = 257) Studies included in qualitative synthesis (n = 11) Studies included in quantitative synthesis (n = 23) Refined screening of remaining 107 full-text articles; 74 excluded with reasons

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Economic Self-Help group Programs for Improving Women's Empowerment: A Systematic Review

The existing literature on self-help group (SHG) bank linkage programs portrays them as an effective tool being used in various countries to approach a range of socioeconomic issues. This paper explores the performance and sustainability of this type of program in India at the group level. Because income-generating activities and other characteristics vary with the gender composition of self-help groups, their performance and sustainability vary. The analysis in this study is based on data from a survey carried out in six states in India. Overall, the performance analysis reveals that all-female SHGs perform best. The female SHGs are doing particularly well in terms of recovery of loans and per capita saving. The econometrics results indicate that only all-female SHGs are sustainable. The factors that determine the sustainability include recovery of loans, per capita savings, and linkage with an SHG federation.

Performance and Sustainability of Self-Help Groups in India:A Gender Perspective. Asian Development Review, Vol. 27(1), pp. 80-103

Introduction 1. Non-Governmental Organisations in India 2. The work of NGOs in India - SHGs and Women's Empowerment 3. Rural NGOs 4. Pune Waste-picker program 5. Measuring Women's Empowerment 6. NGO Accountability 7. Conclusion

NGOs in India: The challenges of women's empowerment and accountability

The main goal of this study was to assess the impact of participation in Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia’s (AIM) microcredit program on the empowerment among urban low-income women in Peninsular Malaysia. To attain the above mentioned objective, this study utilized a cross-sectional design using stratified random sampling method to examine whether or not participation in AIM’s microcredit program improved urban low-income clients’ role in household decision making, helped the clients achieve economic security, gain more control over resources and family decisions, improve their ability to go outside to work and improve their level of legal awareness. Findings of this study revealed that participation in AIM’s microcredit program generated a positive and significant impact on women’s empowerment in Urban Peninsular Malaysia. The results suggest that AIM should, therefore, focus on increasing the outreach by targeting urban low-income women. The policy makers should focus on establishing a supportive regulatory environment to promote sustainable development of all microcredit organizations in urban Malaysia.

Empirical Investigation on the Impact of Microcredit on Women Empowerment in Urban Peninsular Malaysia

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Economic self-help group programmes for improving women’s empowerment

The present study examined the empowerment of women by addressing two dimensions: economic empowerment and personal empowerment. One hundred women, aged between 16 and 65 years, participating in self-help groups from two rural Indian villages in North-West India took part in the study. Both quantitative and qualitative data were gathered through self-report surveys and interviews, with the analysis yielding contradictory findings. The quantitative data found that working women reported moderate to high levels on collective efficacy, proactive attitude, self-esteem and self-efficacy with no significant reporting of psychological distress. In contrast, examination of the qualitative data revealed positive appraisals of self-worth, purpose and independence and negative appraisals of pressure, challenge and stress. The implications of these findings and the importance of this study are discussed.

Personal and Economic Empowerment in Rural Indian Women: A Self-help Group Approach

The aim of this article is to introduce and discuss the notion of a comparative study between India and Australia in the area of rural work psychology. It has been argued that there is enormous scope for work psychology to be applied to and contribute to rural development (Dollard et al. 2004). This article explores an aspect of work psychology in the form of personal and economic empowerment of women in rural communities by engaging women in group enterprise. A large body of research taken from developing countries explores entrepreneurial activity using micro-credit to overcome poverty, increase income and enhance well-being. No such comparison study has been introduced amongst indigenous women in Australia. Through the process of case study analysis, the empowerment of rural Indian women engaging in group enterprise is examined. This article explores the scope for future research for the inclusion and examination of indigenous women in income-generating activities within a rural and remote setting.

Tracey L. Moyle

Papers

Personal and Economic Empowerment in Rural Indian Women: A Self-help Group Approach

Rural Indian and Indigenous Australian Women Working Towards Empowerment: A Proposed Cross-cultural Study