Grass root governance: Its impact on women and self help groups in Hinjilicut block: A case study

Abstract

Women play a crucial role in shaping the society and especially in a democratic state. The contribution of Women and their role in the family as well as in the economic development and social transformation are pivotal. Grassroots governance plays a pivotal role in fostering local development, empowering communities, and ensuring the inclusiveness of marginalized groups, particularly women. This research focuses on the impact of grassroots governance on women and Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in the Hinjilicut block, a region in Ganjam district, Odisha, India. The study explores how local governance structures have contributed to women's empowerment, the functioning of SHGs, and their socio-economic outcomes. As previous research works by different research scholars, it comes out that women have a very lesser role to play in the governance. But now the scenario has changed under the regime of Naveen Patnaik, the ex-Chief Minister of Odisha. The role of women in grassroot level governance has improved by examining policy implementations, leadership participation, and the socio-political changes within the block, this article evaluates the effectiveness of grassroots governance in promoting gender equality and local development. The present paper also tries to highlight the role of SHGs in the Hinjili block of Ganjam District in women empowerment and the effectiveness of micro credit through SHGs for socio-economic development of the rural people.