The proliferation of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in rural areas has been hailed as a promising avenue for fostering grassroots participation in development initiatives. However, the realization of this potential encounters formidable socio-cultural hurdles. In many rural settings, deeply entrenched traditional norms and patriarchal structures pose significant challenges to the effective functioning of SHGs. Gender inequalities, for instance, often inhibit women’s full participation in these groups, as prevailing societal attitudes may restrict their mobility and decision-making autonomy. Moreover, caste dynamics and social hierarchies can impede inclusivity within SHGs, limiting the involvement of marginalized communities. Additionally, prevailing superstitions or religious beliefs might hinder the acceptance of certain developmental interventions promoted by these groups. Overcoming these socio-cultural barriers necessitates a multifaceted approach that not only addresses structural inequalities but also engages in community sensitization and capacity-building initiatives. Only through concerted efforts to tackle these underlying socio-cultural impediments can SHGs truly fulfill their potential as vehicles for participatory development in rural areas.
Tag: Development processes and the development industry —the role of NGOs, SHGs, various groups and associations, donors, charities, institutional and other stakeholders.
Decoding the Question:
- In the Introduction, briefly write about SHG and its role.
- In Body,
- Mention some socio-cultural hurdles faced by SHG.
- Suggest some measures to address issues.
- In Conclusion, write about the overall importance of SHGs.
Answer:
Self Help Groups are very important for implementing programmes at grassroot level due to their ability to penetrate deep into society and promote community participation. . These are also regarded as the vehicle of change and necessary to overcome exploitation, create confidence for the economic self-reliance of rural people, especially among women who are mostly invisible in the social structure. It also helps in building mutual trust between the organization and the rural poor through constant contact and genuine efforts.
Socio-cultural hurdles Faced by SHGs:
- Taboo: Various superstitions exist in society and cultural practices that act as counterproductive against efforts to develop society. These practices act as the largest hurdles and it needs a lot of efforts from the government to eradicate them completely.
Ex: Working women are not desired in traditional society which makes their participation in SHGs difficult. - Religious beliefs:There are various religious beliefs in society that can be called undesirable because of the harm it can cause to efforts of change. These beliefs are unnecessary and they cannot serve anything good for society.
Ex: Women are considered inferior to men and their freedom is restricted. - Language:The authorities have to be well versed with the language of the region in order to better connect with people. Knowing the language will be advantageous to faster development and greater community participation through SHGs.Ex: SHGs working in tribal areas can succeed if they know the language of the community.
- Illiteracy: As per the government data, around 30% of the rural people are illiterate and are not aware of the importance of SHGs, which adversely affects their efficacy.
- Lack of stability: Most of the SHGs are dominated by women, who are unable to provide long-term leadership due to their family responsibilities, migration due to marriage, and social barriers.
- Exploitation by Strong Members: It is also observed that in the case of many SHGs, strong members try to earn the lion’s share of the profit of the group by exploiting the ignorance and illiterate members.
- Inadequate Training Facilities: The training facilities given to the members of SHGs in the specific areas of product selection, quality of products, production techniques, managerial ability, packing, and other technical knowledge is not adequate to compete with that of strong units.
- Problems Related to Raw Materials: SHGs purchase raw materials in smaller quantities. Hence they may not be able to enjoy the benefits of large-scale purchases like a discount, credit facilities, etc.
- Lack of Funding: Due to low savings in rural areas and lack of financial assistance to the SHGs, they are unable to meet their day-to-day expenses and labor cost, which hinders the growth and working of SHGs.
Measures to strengthen SHGs:
- The government needs to generate more awareness among people in the rural areas through awareness generation camps by the Rural Development department.
- There is a need to encourage banks and MFIs to provide adequate funding and cheap interest loans.
- Efforts should be taken for gender sensitization to reduce taboo related to women and provide adequate assistance to women and vulnerable sections for the formation of groups.
- There should be training and capacity building for measures for members of SHGs to ensure efficiency.
Despite all these socio-cultural constraints, SHG has come as a pioneer in poverty alleviation, women empowerment and promoting all-round development of the children, the women, the households, and the communities. NABARD evaluation study showed that women members were found to have become more assertive in confronting social evils and problem situations, and nearly half the poor member households had crossed the poverty line. NABARDs SHG-Bank linkage programme is the right step for empowering SHGs.
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