Exploring the Potential of Self-Help Groups and Skills-Based Training for the Empowerment of Indian Women: Closing the Gaps, Constructing the Future

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to investigate how skills-based education and self-help groups (SHGs) could transform the situation of women in India, who continue to face barriers to participation in economic activity and social mobility. This investigation utilizes a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, including systematic reviews of 42 peer-reviewed articles (2015-2023), longitudinal analysis of SHG data from the NRLM program (2015-2022), and qualitative data from interviews and focus groups in both urban (Noida) and rural (Tamil Nadu) contexts. The results of the study show that digital skills training can increase women's employment by 28-32%; however, access to these programs is limited due to barriers to access, such as the gender gap in smartphone ownership (46% of women own smartphones as compared to 62% of men) and the social norms that perpetuate gender-based discrimination. Additionally, while SHGs currently support approximately 83 million women and provide a means of increasing women's financial inclusion, they lack a systematic integration with digital platforms. The variation across the regions of the country demonstrates that the northern states of India have stricter socio-cultural barriers than the southern states. Additionally, psychological empowerment is positively associated with women's ability to apply digital skills. However, urban women reported that the major barrier to using their skills is their lack of time. In addition, the study points to the hybridization of existing digital systems with indigenous knowledge systems as a potential avenue for innovative policy development and action. These findings indicate a need for culturally appropriate interventions and greater linkages between SHGs and digital platforms in order to support scalable empowerment outcomes for women, providing actionable recommendations to align skill development initiatives with India's NEP 2020 and NRLM goals.