Dairy Dependent Self -Help Groups in Pondicherry: Atool for Economic Empowerment

This paper examines the economic empowerment of the Dairy Dependent Women Self-Help Group (SHG) members in Puducherry region in India. An ex-post facto design was employed to access the change in the economic empowerment of the women SHG members. Data were collected from 84 respondents using random sampling from all the three blocks of Puducherryregion. To study the difference in the economic empowerment of the members within the group, the respondents were made into two groups by using wealth ranking: poor and better-off within the group. The study concludes that women are empowered when they take dairying as anIncome Generating Activity (IGA). The relative advantage is observed more for the underprivileged women (widows, women whose husbands were sick) as it provides self employment. Contribution from dairying is 36 per cent of the total income for the poor category, whereas it is only 29 per cent for the better off category. The mean value of household assets, milk production and sale, and annual income of the women SHG members were increased in post SHG situations. The mean value of the assets and the mean annual income of thewomen SHG members had increased by 68 per cent and 77 per cent respectively. The contribution of dairying to the total annual income rose from 20 per cent to 30 per cent over a period. This reflected the significant improvement in the economic status of the women SHG members through dairying as IGA. While the consumption of milk, fruits and non-vegetarian items remains static without much change.