Empowerment of Women Through Microfinance - a Case Study of Ranga Reddy District, Andhra Pradesh

Abstract

In the process of socio - economic development of any country, the empowerment of women plays a major role. In the context of national development, women's participation in economic activity is of crucial importance. Though women comprise of 48% of the country's population (i.e. 496 million as per the 200 I census), yet they are among the poorest of the poor, they are among the malnourished and underfed. Most of them have no say in any matter in their household. Thus women, even today, continue to be the most hapless beings in the society. In general, banks or any financial institutions do not give money to the poor and women, in particular. It is mainly because women do not have any collateral securities to offer and they find the bank proceedings too complicated. With the increase in the literacy rate among the women, it necessitates the society to empower them and make them self-reliant.