ANVESHAK-International Journal of Management

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access
Open Access Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Restricted Access Subscription Access

Women Empowerment Index:Construction of a Tool to Measure Rural Women Empowerment Level in India


Affiliations
1 Department of Economics, Kaliyaganj College, Kaliyaganj, Uttar Dinajpur, West Bengal – 733129, India
2 Maharaja Manindra Chandra College, Kolkata, India
3 IFIM Business School, Bangalore, India
     

   Subscribe/Renew Journal


Poverty ignites the societal gap between men and women, while economic development narrows it down through its gender promotional activities. There is bidirectional relationship between economic development and empowerment of women. Women empowerment, being dependent on complex sociological and economic issues, needs to be measured in terms of specific parameters like 'access to resources', 'decision making capability' and 'ability to take a stand'. This particular study develops an Index based on few sector-specific parameters to measure empowerment level of women engaged in Self Help Groups. Both 'individual empowerment index' and 'group empowerment indices' have been constructed, where 'financial liberty', 'ability to take decisions', 'heath condition of the women and 'ability to stand up against the evils of the society' have been considered as her empowerment parameters. The index was applied on 300 SHG Group members of rural West Bengal, which provided us an idea about the existing level of rural women empowerment in West Bengal.

Keywords

Women, Empowerment Index, Economic Development, Self Help Group, Economic Development.
Subscription Login to verify subscription
User
Notifications
Font Size


  • Alkire, S., R. Meinzen-Dick, A. Peterman, A.R. Quisumbing, G. Seymour and A. Vaz (2012). “The Women Empowerment in Agricultural Index”, International Food Policy Research Institute, Discussion Paper 1240.

  • Aloysius, and P. Fernandez. (2007), History and Spread of the Self Help Affinity Group Movement in India-The Role Played by IFAD, Occasional Paper 3, IFAD.

  • Anderson, S., and Eswaran, M. (2005), What determines female autonomy? Evidence from Bangladesh. Working paper, 101, Bureau for Research and Economic Analysis of Development.

  • Armendáriz, B. and Morduch, J. (2010), The Economics of Microfinance. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

  • Bali Swain, R., and Wallentin, F.Y. (2012), “Economic or Non-Economic Factors – What Empowers Women?”. International Review of Applied Economics, 2012, Vol. 26, No. 4, pp. 425-444.

  • Bennet, Lynn. (2002), “Using Empowerment and Social Inclusion for ProPoor growth: A theory of social Change”, Working Draft of Background paper for Social Development Strategy paper, Washington DC: World Bank.

  • Hartigan, P. and Billimoria, J. (2005), “Social Entrepreneurship: an overview”, Alliance, 2005, Vol. 10, No. 1.

  • Banerjee, A., Duflo, E., Glennerster, R. and Kinnan, C. (2013), “The Miracle of Microfinance? Evidence from a Randomized Evaluation”, NBER Working Paper No. 18590.

  • Bansal, H. (2003), “SHG-bank linkage program in India: An overview”, Journal of Microfinance, 2003, Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 21-49.

  • Bardhan, K., and Klasen, S. (1999), “UNDP’s gender-related indices: A critical review”, World Development, 1999, Vol. 27, pp. 985–1010.

  • Beteta, H.C. (2006), “What is missing in measures of women’s empowerment?”, Journal of Human Development,2006, Vol. 7, No. 2, pp. 221–41.

  • Bhattacharya, J, and Banerjee, S. (2012), “Women Empowerment as multidimensional capability enhancement as an application of structural equation modeling”, Poverty Public Policy, 2012, Vol. 4, No. 3, p.79-98.

  • Bhattacharya, J., Banerjee, S. and Bose, M. (2013), On Assessment of Women Empowerment at Individual Level: An Analytical Exposition, In Banerjee, S, and Chakrabarti, A. (edn.) Development and Sustainability: India in A Global Perspective, Springer, p. 385-400.

  • De S. and Sarker, D. (2011), “Women’s Empowerment through Self-Help Groups and Its Impact on Health Issues: Empirical Evidence”, Journal of Global Analysis, 2011, Vol. 2, No. 1, p. 49-82.

  • Deininger, K. and Y. Liu. 2009, “Economic and social impacts of self-help groups in India”, World Bank Policy Research Working Paper. Washington, DC: World Bank.

  • Devika, J. and Thampi, B.V. (2007), “Between Empowerment and Liberation: The Kudumbashree Initiative in Kerala”, Indian Journal of Gender Studies, 2007, Vol. 14, No. 1, pp. 33-59.

  • Doepke, M. and Michele Terlilt. (2011), Does female empowerment promote economic development?, CEPR Discussion Paper No. 8441.

  • Duflo, E. (2011), Women Empowerment and Economic development, USA, NBER Working paper No. 17702.

  • Issac, T., T.M. Williams, M., Chakraborty, P. and Thampi, B.V. (2002), “Women Neighbourhood Groups: A New Perspective”, paper presented at the seminar on ‘Decentralization, Sustainable Development and Social Security’, Alappuzha, 11-12 May.

  • Klassen, S. (2006), “UNDP’s Gender related Measures: Some Conceptual Problems & Possible Solutions”, Journal of Human Development, July, 2006, p.243-274.

  • Maheshwari, M. and Goyal, S. (2014), “Review of Self Help Groups in Socio Economic Empowerment of Women: A Review of Studies”, Pacific Business Review International, 2014, Vol. 7, No. 2, pp. 85-93.

  • Manimekalai, N. and Rajeswari, G. Margin. (2000), “Empowerment of Women through Self Help Groups (SHGs)”, Margin, 2000, Vol. 32, No. 4, pp. 74-87. MPRA Paper No. 48954.

  • Manimekalai, N. (1999), Nature and Characteristics of Women Empowerment in India, in Soundarapanidan, M. (edn.) Women Entrepreneurship: Issues and Strategies, Kanishka Publishers & Distributors, New Delhi.

  • Mayoux, L. (1998), Microfinance Programmes and Women Empowerment: Evidence and Way Forward, Discussion Paper No.41, Open University, Milton Keynes.

  • Mayoux, L. (2001), “Tackling the Down Side: Social Capital, Women Empowerment and Microfinance in Cameroon”, Development and Change, 2001, Vol. 32, pp. 435-464.

  • Minimal, M.C. and Makesh K.G. (2012), “Empowering rural women in Kerala: A study on the role of Self Help Groups (SHGs)”, International Journal of Sociology and Anthropology, 2012, Vol. 4, No. 9, pp. 270-280.

  • Patterson, J., Linden, E., Bierbrier, C., Lofgren, I. and Wilhelmsson, D. (2008), “Empowerment of Fisher Women of Siluvaipatti Fishing Village of Tuticorin, Southeast Coast of India through Adult Education and ICT Training”, Convergence. 2008, Vol. 41, No. 2, p. 7.

  • Roy, C. and Roy Mukherjee, S. (2014), “Status and Empowerment on Women Workers in Sericulture of West Bengal: A Socio Economic Analysis”, Arthabisleshon, 2014, Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 36-53.

  • Ryne, E. and Otero, M. (1994), Fundamental Services for Microenterprises: Principles and Institutions’ in M. Otero and E. Ryne (edn.), The New World of Microenterprise finance: Building Healthy Financial Institutions for the Poor, London: Intermediate Technology Publication, pp. 16-35.

  • Sabhlok, S.G. (2011), “Development and Women: The Role of Trust in Self Help Groups”, Indian Journal of Gender Studies, 2011, Vol. 18, No. 2, pp. 241-261.

  • Sheel, R. and Krishna, S. (2002), “Towards Women’s Empowerment Role of Self Help Groups and Micro-Credit”, Philosophy and Social Action, 2002, Vol. 28, No. 3. pp. 23-39.

  • Swain, R.B. and Wallentin, Y. 2008, “Does microfinance empower women? Evidence from self help groups in India”, Department of Economics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden: Working Paper 2007-24.

  • Tripathy, U. and, Padhi, P.L. (2011), “Socio-economic Conditions of Self-Help Groups: A Study on Litimunda Village of Sambalpur District”, International Journal of Business Economics and Management Research, 2011, Vol. 2, No. 12, pp. 90-111.

  • United Nations, (2006), Building Inclusive Financial Sectors for Development, UN-New York.

  • Vijayanthi, K.N. (2002), “Women’s Empowerment through Self-Help Groups: A Participatory Approach”, Indian Journal of Gender Studies, 2002, Vol 9, No. 2, pp. 263-274.

  • Garikipati, S. (2008), “The Impact of Lending to Women on Household Vulnerability and Women’s Empowerment: Evidence from India”, World Development, 2008, Vol. 36, No. 12, pp. 2620-2642.

  • Garikipati, S. (2012), “Microcredit and Women’s Empowerment:Through the Lens of Time-Use Data from Rural India”, Development and Change, 2012, Vol. 43, No. 3, pp. 719-750.

  • Malhotra, A., and Mather, M. (1997), “Do schooling and work empower women in developing countries? Gender and domestic decisions in Sri Lanka”, Sociological Forum, 1997, Vol. 12, No. 4, pp. 599–630

  • Malhotra, A. and Schuler, S.R. (2005), Womens empowerment as a variable in international development in D. Narayan (Ed.) Measuring Empowerment: Cross Disciplinary Perspectives (Washington, DC: The World Bank), pp. 219-246.

  • Pitt, M., Khandker, S.R., and Cartwright, J. (2006), “Empowering women with microfinance: Evidence from Bangladesh”, Economic Development and Cultural Change, 2006, Vol. 54, No. 4, pp. 791–831.


Abstract Views: 613

PDF Views: 0




  • Women Empowerment Index:Construction of a Tool to Measure Rural Women Empowerment Level in India

Abstract Views: 613  |  PDF Views: 0

Authors

Chandan Roy
Department of Economics, Kaliyaganj College, Kaliyaganj, Uttar Dinajpur, West Bengal – 733129, India
Susmita Chatterjee
Maharaja Manindra Chandra College, Kolkata, India
Sangita Dutta Gupta
IFIM Business School, Bangalore, India

Abstract


Poverty ignites the societal gap between men and women, while economic development narrows it down through its gender promotional activities. There is bidirectional relationship between economic development and empowerment of women. Women empowerment, being dependent on complex sociological and economic issues, needs to be measured in terms of specific parameters like 'access to resources', 'decision making capability' and 'ability to take a stand'. This particular study develops an Index based on few sector-specific parameters to measure empowerment level of women engaged in Self Help Groups. Both 'individual empowerment index' and 'group empowerment indices' have been constructed, where 'financial liberty', 'ability to take decisions', 'heath condition of the women and 'ability to stand up against the evils of the society' have been considered as her empowerment parameters. The index was applied on 300 SHG Group members of rural West Bengal, which provided us an idea about the existing level of rural women empowerment in West Bengal.

Keywords


Women, Empowerment Index, Economic Development, Self Help Group, Economic Development.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.15410/aijm%2F2018%2Fv7i1%2F119887