International
Newsletter
on
Sustainable
Local
Development
Newsletter
#93
November
1st
2012
Summary
From
strength
to
strength:
The
mutual
support
and
empowerment
group
of
village
women
in
India
Message
from
the
Editorial
Team
Éléonore
Dupré
is
French,
and
a
student
at
the
Institute
of
Political
Studies
at
Aix-en-Provence
in
France.
In
the
course
of
her
studies
she
spent
a six-month
internship
with
the
Sarva
Seva
Farms
Association
in
India.
Her objective
was
to
study
women’s
empowerment
in
the
ASSEFA
villages.
In
this
article
she
recounts
her
main
observations.
We
have
already
written
about
the
community
development
of
this
Indian
organisation
in
our
Newsletter
#60.
ASSEFA
has
been
working
since
1968
to
support
the
poor
in
taking
control
of
their
social,
economic
and
cultural
lives.
ASSEFA
now
works
with
10,150
villages,
covering
a
total
population
of
5
million
people,
and
7
States
of
India!
Yvon
has
had
a
close
relationship
with
ASSEFA
since
2002.
He
confirms
that
Éléonore’s
story
testifies
to
the
crucially
important
work
of
capacity
strengthening
of
women,
particularly
in
the
women’s
support
groups.
Editorial
Team
Judith
Hitchman
Yvon
Poirier
Martine
Theveniaut
From
strength
to
strength:
The
mutual
support
and
empowerment
group
of
village
women
in
India
By
Éléonore
Dupré
In
a
remote
village
in
Tamil
Nadu,
in
the
middle
of
a
makeshift
hut,
a
young
woman
in
rags
is
squatting:
she
is
preparing
the
dinner.
She
left
school
at
12.
Some
years
later,
she
was
married
by
her
parents
to
a
man
from
a
neighbouring
family.
She
has
never
travelled
beyond
the
nearest
town,
Natham,
a
mere
7
kilometres
away.
In
the
same
village,
at
the
end
of
a
dirt
track
alley
full
of
children
at
play
is
another
house.
It
is
new
and
spacious.
A
woman
is
sitting
there
on
the
veranda,
together
with
other
women.
She
welcomes
us
with
chai
and
vadai1.
She
proudly
speaks
of
her
three
children
who
are
following
their
secondary
studies
in
the
regional
capital.
She
talks
about
the
financial
success
of
her
family,
to
which
she
has
largely
contributed.
She
talks
about
her
role
in
the
village,
as
president
of
a
women’s
self-help
group
(SHG2).
She
is
responsible
for
organising
milk
collection
and
processing.
Her
activity
has
provided
her
with
a
new
status
both
within
her
family
and
the
village.
She
enthusiastically
describes
the
land
that
they
have
been
able
to
buy
and
farm,
thanks
to
the
milk
business.
She
confidently
describes
how
she
now
has
meetings
with
the
director
of
the
State Bank of India,
how
she
travels
freely
and
alone
to
the
other
states
of
India.
And
this
activity
does
not
just
make
money
for
her,
but
for
all
members
of
the
SHG,
who
have
all
increased
their
income
and
improved
their
living
conditions.
These
two
stories
both
take
place
in
the
same
village,
Mathukarampathy,
and
they
describe
one
and
the
same
woman,
Kala.
The
first
description is
a
flashback
to
fifteen
years
ago;
the
second
describes
her
life
today.
How
has
this
change
come
about?
What
are
the
factors
that
have
so
changed
this
woman’s
life?
Although
it
is
impossible
to
single
out
the
variable
factors
that
enabled
this
change
to
occur
(they
are
linked
to
the
important
change
that
Indian
society
has
undergone
in
recent
decades),
I
shall
try
to
demonstrate
the
role
of
the
SHGs
in
supporting
Indian
women’s
empowerment.
A
support
group
is
a
voluntary
association
with a
maximum
of
twenty
people.
The
members
live
close
to
one
another
and
have
shared
interests.
They
are
democratically
constituted,
and
have
no
political
affiliation.
The
group
meets
regularly
to
constitute
their
savings
and
discuss
any
problems
they
may
have.
These
shared
savings
provide
members
of
the
group
access
to
loans,
with
each
member
having
their
turn.
A
key
factor
of
the
success
of
these
groups
is
their
uniform
nature:
they
are
generally
made
up
of
women
(empirical
studies
have
shown
that
women’s
groups
tend
to
be
solvent);
they
come
from
the
same
village
(peer
groups
guarantee
regular
repayments).
The
term
empowerment
can
be
defined
as
a
process
that
enables
people
or
a
group
to
increase
their
ability
to
make
decisions
and
transform
them
into
actions
and
desired
outcomes.
So
how
do
SHGs
increase
women’s
empowerment?
In
the
light
of
bibliographic
research
and
field
experience
recorded
by
ASSEFA3,
the
following
hypotheses
can
be
advanced:
(1):
The
self-help
group
has
contributed
to
genuine
material
change
(well-being
of
the
women
and
their
families),
as
well
as
psychological
change
(the
women
become
actors
of
their
own
lives4).
(2)
The
success
of
the
SHGs
is
based
on
several
economic
and
social
variables
that
condition
women’s
empowerment;
the
viability
of
the
micro-credit
system
and
genuine
control
of
women
over
the
loans
that
the
take
out.
(3)
The
support
of
the
local
NGO
can
help
meet
these
socio-economic
challenges.
The
self-help
group,
material
support
and
a
psychological
revolution
The
well-being
of
both
the
women
and
their
families
Access
to
micro-credit
enables
women
to
cope
with
daily
and
exceptional
expenses
as
well
as
facilitating
and
improving
their
living
conditions.
The
self-help
groups
ensure
that
women
have
access
to
loans
to
launch
economically
profitable
activities
and
to
cover
the
cost
of
ceremonies,
education
and
housing
or
healthcare.
An
example
of
this
is
how
in
the
SHGs
coordinated
by
ASSEFA,
women
can
take
out
interest-free
loans
to
cover
healthcare
expenditure.
The
many
different
opportunities
and
services
(housing,
education,
healthcare)
are
not
limited
to
women
alone,
but
obviously
also
cover
their
entire
families.
The
case
studies,
like
the
one
presented
above
in
our
introduction,
underline
how
much
the
general
living
conditions
have
improved.
Beyond
material
support,
psychological
change
The
self-help
group
is
not
just
a
financial
institution,
it
is
also
a
forum
where
the
women
gather
to
discuss
the
issues
that
were
taboo
in
the
past
(domestic
violence,
harassment
for
dowry,
etc.)
and
to
stand
together
in
facing
the
difficulties
that
life
has
thrown
at
them.
Women
in
the
self-help
groups
in
ASSEFA
have,
for
example
launched
social
programmes
such
as
maternity
and
bereavement
support
(Sarvodaya5,
a
sort
of
social
security
system),
as
well
as
group
marriages
to
help
families
cut
down
on
the
expensive
organisation
of
the
ceremony,
which
is
an
important
cause
of
indebtedness.
Women
now
have
access
to
jobs
that
were
previously
reserved
for
men
(in
the
civil
service,
as
vets
etc.)
through
their
commitment
to
the
self-help
groups.
The
SHGs
provide
a
real
springboard
to
seizing
new
opportunities,
thanks
to
the
training
they
can
provide
as
well
as
the
means
and
support.
They
enable
women
to
become
actors
of
their
own
lives
and
to
overcome
the
inferior
status
that
is
often
still
theirs
in
Indian
society.
Economic
and
social
issues
The
success
of
the
group
and
the
way
in
which
it
benefits
women
is
based
both
on
the
viability
of
the
micro-credit
system
as
well
as
the
control
that
women
have
over
the
loan.
- Micro-credit and empowerment of women in Indian society
Many
voices
have
been
raised
to
criticise
the
relevance
of
micro-credit
and
the
SHGs
in
alleviating
poverty
and
its
related
issues,
particularly
those
that
affect
women6.
But
the
micro-credit
institutions
based
on
women’s
groups
have
produced
very
positive
results:
peer-pressure7
from
within
the
group
is
an
efficient
guarantee
that
ensures
the
financial
solvency
of
the
group.
Swain8
adds
the
association
of
SHGs
with
NGOs
is
a
key
element
that
guarantees
the
viability
of
micro-credit
institutions.
The
ASSEFA
NGO
study
is
based
on
this
argument,
as
it
strengthens
the
micro-credit
system
by
providing
training
to
the
SHG
leaders
and
creating
horizontal
structures
(networks
of
SHGs),
as
well
as
vertical
ones
(SHGs
and
different
levels
of
coordinating
institutions,
such
as
the
Sarvodaya
Mutual
Benefit
Trust,
and
Sarvodaya
Nano
Finance
Limited).
These
structures
jointly
guarantee
the
efficient
management
of
the
group,
as
well
as
providing
greater
economic
support.
- Self-help groups in society
It
is
however
necessary
to
underline
the
many
social
changes
that
this
new
status
acquired
by
women
through
the
self-help
groups
implies,
as
well
as
to
outline
the
possibility
of
negative
repercussions
linked
to
women’s
involvement
in
these
groups.
The
wheel
of
change
in
society
also
involves
some
inertia
that
is
the
vector
of
codes
and
customs.
As
a
result
of
the
new
income
earned
by
some
married
women,
some
husbands
tend
to
cut
down
on
their
financial
support
within
the
marriage.
In
the
majority
of
cases
women
were
also
faced
with
a
heavier
burden,
as
a
result
of
their
involvement
with
the
SHG.
Furthermore
women
do
not
always
maintain
control
over
the
loans.
In
the
worse
cases,
women
are
the
mere
intermediaries
between
the
bank
and
their
husbands.
The
final
observation
was
that
this
new
access
to
micro-credit
has
led
to
an
increase
in
domestic
violence
in
couples
where
women
were
involved
in
the
SHGs;
this
is
a
symbol
of
the
resistance
to
change
in
society9.
The
process
of
empowerment
therefore
has
important
repercussions
on
society,
as
it
undermines
the
codes
and
customs.
Responses
and
perspectives:
SHGs
and
local
NGOs,
the
ASSEFA
example
As
ASSEFA
is
aware
of
these
issues
in
Indian
society,
and
of
the
micro-credit
system,
they
defend
a
holistic
approach
to
development,
with
a
view
to
rectifying
these
paradigms.
Rather
than
consider
the
SHGs
as
tools
to
guarantee
the
efficiency
of
micro-credit,
micro-credit
is
perceived
as
a
tool
to
support
women
in
the
SHGs
to
improve
their
living
conditions.
The
ASSEFA
SHGs
also
include
many
other
activities
such
as
milk
collection
for
five
plants
that
are
cooperatives,
social
activities
like
collective
weddings
and
healthcare
and
funeral
mutual
funds.
They
also
involve
the
ASSEFA
schools’
management
and
access
to
civil
service
jobs,
particularly
in
the
Panchayats,
the
grass-roots
political
unit
in
India.
By
supporting
the
SHGs,
the
ASSEFA
NGO
increases
the
openings
available
to
women.
The
overall holistic
approach to
development of
ASSEFA places
women at
the heart
of development.
The SHGs
play a
key role
in all
the activities
of the
10,150 villages
involved. In
the precise
case of
micro-credit, a
solidarity mutual
fund is
added to
the “group
pressure” to
help repay
the loans.
Thus linked
to the
SHGs through
“Trusts” they
own their
financial
institutions.
This surely
explains why
the micro-credit
performance in
ASSEFA is
recognised as
one of
the most
successful there
is, with
a repayment
rate of
over 99%.
Although this
is the
symbol of
success of
ASSEFA, it
only represents
the economic
dimension of
the equation.
The personal
history of
Kala is
one of
thousands. It
is the
story of
how small
steps can
change women’s
lives, to
become giant
leaps.
About
the
Newsletter
This
Newsletter
is
published
in
French,
English,
Spanish
and
Portuguese,
It
has
been
produced
on
a
totally
voluntary
basis
since
the
first
issue
in
2003.
The
Editorial
team
wishes
to
thank
the
following
volunteers
for
their
support
in
translation
and
revision:
Michel
Colin
(Brazil)
Paula
Garuz
Naval
(Ireland)
Évéline
Poirier
(Canada)
Brunilda
Rafael
(France)
We
also
wish
to
thank
the
Civil
Policy
Research
Institute
(CPRI)
of
Seikatsu
Club
in
Japan
for
the
Japanese
translation.
Our
Newsletters
are
available
on
the
WEB:
http://local-development.blogspot.com/
www.apreis.org/
To
contact
us
(for
information,
feedback,
to
subscribe
or
unsubscribe):
Yvon
Poirier
ypoirier@videotron.ca
3
ASSEFA is
an Indian
NGO that
has over
forty years’
experience. It
is based
in Tamil
Nadu. In
order to
defend holistic
and sustainable
development they
have diversified
and extended
their action
to several
other states,
working with
women, children
and communities.
The organisation
is committed
to work
for « the
good of
all »
(Saryodaya), and
for sustainable
development with
people as
he key
actors
(Swadeshi). I
was fortunate
to have
spent five
months in
this
organisation and
to have
followed all
their
activities,
particularly
those involving
self-help
groups.
*Association
for Sarva
and Seva
farm. From
the Sanskrit
“sarva”:
all; “seva”:
service.
4
Amartya Sen
defines the
term agent
as following
the goals
and the
objectives that
people are
right to
follow. In
India, history,
culture and
identity, A.
Sen
6D.
Adam speaks
about the
“industry of
micro-debts”
in qualifying
self-help
groups. Mayoux
questions the
possibility of
growth from
micro-enterprises.
Scully Dawkins
questions the
focus on
micro-enterprise
to the
detriment of
the required
structural
reforms
9
An
annual
increase
of
10%
in
domestic
violence
was
observed
in
the
households
of
women
in
SHGs.
In
“Can
micro-finance
empower
women:
Self-help
groups
in
India”
by
Ranjula
Bali
Swain
