Empowerment of Rural Women through SHGs and Entrepreneurship Building
The Women’s Economic Empowerment program by Sukarya focuses on uplifting rural women through the formation of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and comprehensive entrepreneurship training. The core objective is to help women achieve financial independence, support their families, and actively participate in community development. Through SHGs, the program promotes socio-economic empowerment, enhances livelihood opportunities, builds confidence, and demonstrates the power of collective action.
In addition to skills training and resource sharing, women are equipped with knowledge on income generation and connected with relevant marketing platforms. This approach enables them to become economically self-reliant and pursue entrepreneurship. So far, the program has empowered over 5,000 rural women by creating viable pathways toward sustainable livelihoods and financial growth.
Sukarya’s economic empowerment initiatives work closely with women in peri-urban slums and rural villages. By forming SHGs and collectives, women are encouraged to save money, access microcredit, and engage in income-generating activities. This transformation allows them to become agents of change in their communities. These efforts are informed by Sukarya’s long-standing experience working on women’s health and reproductive rights in Mewat and Gurugram districts of Haryana.
Meaningful learning from this experience has been the realisation that improving women’s health must be seen in the broader context of their social and economic marginalisation. In traditionally male-dominated regions like Haryana, women often lack control over their own lives and have minimal say in decision-making processes. Their economic and social dependency on male family members severely limits their agency and autonomy.
Understanding this scenario, Sukarya identified that empowering women through health initiatives alone would be ineffective without addressing the underlying social structures and including men. Therefore, women’s empowerment became a key strategic component of Sukarya’s larger health and development efforts in rural Haryana.
As part of its strategy, Sukarya mobilises women into SHGs and provides them with skill development training, focusing on income enhancement. Women learn to manage savings, access credit, undertake sustainable economic activities, and become confident community leaders.
This integrated approach has led to broader social gains, including improved mobility, greater participation in decision-making, and increased access to community resources. Backed by consistent training, capacity-building efforts, and market linkages, many women entrepreneurs have emerged through the program—demonstrating the lasting impact of empowering women through SHGs and entrepreneurship.
