Impact of Self Help Credit Programme on LivelihoodDiversification and Women Empowerment: Evidencefrom Jammu and Kashmir, India

AbstractThe paper intends to analyze the process of livelihood diversification and womenempowerment through self help credit programme (SHCP) and its impact under IntegratedWatershed Development Project (IWDP), Hills-II, Jammu and Kashmir, India; to find outdifficulties in operationalzing income generating activities through self help credit groups(SHCGs); and to suggest policy recommendations to make SHCP for livelihooddiversification and women empowerment a success. The study has been confined to 275women members of SHCGs comprising regular members (156), auxiliary members (76),and new members (43). Primary data and information has been collected using pre-testedsurvey schedules supplemented by focus group discussions and participatory appraisalexercises. Both quantitative and qualitative tools were used to analyze data. Empowermentwas assessed by Weighted Mean Index (WMI) method. The study reveals that women'srole in enterprise and household decision making, their access to assets and control overself earnings have improved significantly among client than non-client group. SHCP hasfacilitated them to take decision for their personal needs, availing treatment, recreationalfacilities and participate independently in household decision making. However, SHCPshould incorporate necessary steps to enhance empowerment of women irrespective oftheir duration in programme, types of economic activities, and marital status. In order totransform SHCP into a genuine livelihood diversification and gender strategy, women’sempowerment needs to be understood as more than a marginal increase in access toincome, and/or consultation in limited areas of enterprise and household decision-makingand/or occasional meetings with a small group of other women.