Self-Help Groups And The Role Of Women In Household Decision Making: Cases Of Sc, Obc And Mixed Groups’

The paper attempts to understand the role of women of self help groups (SHGS) of OBC, SC and Mixed membership in the household decision -making before joining the groups and ten years of after joining the groups. A sample of six self help groups belonging to OBC, SC and mixed group membership has been selected from three villages of Allahabad district of Uttar Pradesh. Data are collected through focus group discussions and interviews of members of SHGs. Analysis of data reveals that the role of women in making decisions like schooling of children specially for girls, family planning, casting votes, and decisions on moving alone to places located far from the village has increased after joining the group. It was also found that the SC women are participating more in household decision making in comparison to other groups. A trend of taking consensus decision making is emerging and domination of men in such decisions is slowly declining. Key Words: Self-Help Groups, Family Decision-Making and Women Empowerment. Policy