Veena N , Dr. Roohi Javed
Abstract:
This quantitative investigation explores the influencing factors of multidimensional women's empowerment through Kudumbashree Self-Help Groups (SHGs) among 384 members of Chemmaruthy Panchayat, Thiruvananthapuram. Probability, proportionate to size sampling, and Cochran's formula (95% confidence) were used. Hierarchical regression analysis (R=0.89, F=245.6, p<0.001) shows that SHG loans (β=0.52, p<0.001) and training hours (β=0.47, p<0.001) are the two most powerful predictors, which account for 89% of the variance in empowerment, thus greatly outweighing demographic factors. Principal Component Analysis verified the construct validity (KMO=0.84, six factors explaining 78.4% variance), showing that the economic empowerment was the most dominant factor (72.412.3, =0.82), closely followed by psychological (74.3), while political (65.2) and legal (62.1) areas are the ones that are behind. The program's prosperous achievements are 82.2% of people have raised their personal incomes to over Rs.15,000/month (from 13.2% before SHG, +523%), 36.5% have pucca houses (+95%), 30.5% of families have land ownership of more than 1 acre (+211%), and 68.2% have micro-enterprises. Rs.1.50 crore thrift mobilization generated an economic multiplier of 3.1x (Rs.4.65 crore activity), resulting in the creation of 1,250 jobs with 82% repayment. The result of a nonsignificant ANOVA across occupations is evidence of program equity. The weighting of dimension hierarchy (economic 25%, psychological 20%) confirms the theory of coastal adaptation. Policy directions mainly focus on credit scaling (Rs.2 lakhs/group), fisheries/poultry market linkages (72% demand), and governance interventions, thus paving the way for Chemmaruthy as the scalable model for NRLM in the 500 coastal panchayats advancing SDG 5 gender equality.
