Socio-Economic Status of Women Self Help Groups (SHGs) in the Metropolitan city of Chennai - Tamil Nadu, India

The role of women self help groups in Tamil Nadu is very comprehensive The study analyses the socio-economic status and the motivating factors behind the women self help groups in the metropolitan city of Chennai, Tamil Nadu. SHG members hail from poor socio-economic conditions with low educational attainment, low levels of employment and income leading to high levels of borrowing. The meagre amount of savings by the members is their forced savings as members of the group. A slight increase in their incomes after joining the SHGs, have increased their status in the family. The dominant reasons for women joining SHGs are to attain self confidence and social status. Good peer group provides an efficient social support system which helps the women find a new identity.