Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges: SHGs Empowering Women in Northeast India

 In our country, empowering women is seen as a hurdle only a few can cross. Let’s first look at defining what women’s empowerment stands for – it is simply the power to regain that lost control over one’s own life choices and to be able to benefit from basic resources alongside other beings. Imagine a life where you’re taught to never speak up, always keep your head low and think before taking any action. This is something every woman resonates with and that is where Self-help groups come into the picture and create great exposure to the possibility of empowerment, igniting a streak of hope.

Now, what are SHGs and how did they come about originally?

Self-help groups are committees of about 10-20 people (mostly women) that come together informally and determine ways to improve living conditions in rural areas of India. As per an article by Byju’s on Self Help Groups (SHG) - Definition, Origin, Functions, Need – In 1954, the first hints of SHGs were recorded when the Textile Labour Association (TLA) of Ahmedabad began training women from mill workers’ families to knit, sew, and many more.

Today we’re going to focus on Northeast India and understand how SHGs help empower the women of the region –

NER (North East Region) comprises eight states, out of which over 60% live in the state of Assam. Unfortunately, the region has only seen the start of SHGs as late as the 2000s.

We know that the socio-economic development of any region depends on the overall population and women cover about half of this population! SHGs bring upon a platform for these women to address the various issues that they face in their lives. It often empowers them to be self-employed and seek help from the group to grow together, and naturally this results in the overall development of NER. Not only do SHGs help find employment opportunities but also make room for political awareness and more involvement in activities beyond the realms of the household that women are otherwise expected to confine themselves within.

Let’s look at an active example – a study set in Arunachal Pradesh (conducted by Arup Ghosh, Gap Gyan) illustrates the story of an SHG called ‘AjongAlu’ located in a remote village of Chamro which is situated in Changlang district. The women of Arunachal took up a contract to paint a local school building and managed to complete the task in 16 hours well before the deadline, without any break. Through this contract, they acquired a profit of 4000/- which they then deposited into a group fund. This SHG led by 18 women effectively saved enough over time to be able to lend to the people of the district. It contributed to feeling extremely empowered and being able to act for the betterment of their own village. Otherwise, they would have had to rely on their male counterparts. Imagine having to resort to that! Sadly that’s still how our world functions.

To look at some factors posing challenges for women in NER –

In the entirety of India, one of the most prominent factors is the patriarchal nature of functioning that exponentially increases the barriers for women. This is no groundbreaking news to us! For instance, there’s a significant inequality in terms of gender wherein women are restricted from even speaking freely, taking charge, investing in anything beyond household activities, etc, like we’re all aware.

On the contrary, the perception regarding NER is that it sees a better status of women than other regions of the country. Let me tell you why – NER consists of a majority of tribal societies where women are respected and also have ‘matrilineal societies’ where property is transmitted from mother to daughter, according to a study by Dr. Ira Das (Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Pragjyotish College, Guwahati-09, Assam). This is only partially true as some of the factors playing a part in Assam also suggest the constant rise in child marriage, gender-based violence, and the illiteracy rate of women.

Thereby, SHGs can be seen as powerful tools for fostering gender equality and these groups consist of women from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds who come together to collectively address these common hindrances to their daily lives.

How does an SHG grow and help in empowering the women of NER?

1. For women to grow and flourish, every individual in the group is responsible for their own duties
2. Trusting each other can go a long way in such an informal group setting and mutual support is a principle that needs to be diligently followed
3. The core motive of an SHG is to support one another and create employment opportunities
4. Consensual decisions are what lead an SHG to thrive and perform well

Here are some success stories and prominent leads that can help motivate the women of Northeast India –

As per an article on The Times of India, SHGs based out of Assam in 2022, have managed to stitch over 33 lakhs of national flags that were completely sold out! They made a turnover of about Rs 12 crore through close to 19,000 sales outlets in the state. This escalated the celebration of the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign as a part of the 'Azadika Amrit Mahotsav’ and gave patriotism a whole new meaning. To read more on this, head onto – Assam: SHGs run by women stitch over 33 lakh flags, make 12 crore

In the year of 2014, an SHG called Denlang SHG was founded in the H MAKHAO Village of Manipur. Starting from zero funds to more than ₹ 2.50 lakhs by 2021, the 15 members of this SHG contributed to the economic upliftment through opening business opportunities, emergency funds, medical treatment facilities, among others. You can refer to the Success Story of Women Self Help Group (SHG) under the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region for more information on their achievements.

Empowering women is more than just women coming together. It’s about building a system that helps create a safe and supportive space where women can share their experiences, gain knowledge, and develop valuable skills.

NGOs such as MizoHmeichheInsuihkhawm Pawl,Goodwill Foundation,Open Doors,Vanapa Society,Shalom Northeast Regional Justice Peace and Development Society,Cod Nerc, and Mission Foundation Movement can help connect rural women to such Self-help groups.

Thus it has become quite evident that SHGs are a vital platform to break free from cycles of poverty, inequality, and marginalization, ultimately leading to their holistic empowerment and a more equitable society which we all aspire for.

Other than that, there are images in the various articles linked within this blog. You can send in requests for image access.