Self-Help Groups in Solan District of Himachal Pradesh- Constraints and Suggestions

Investment in women's capacity building and empowering them to exercise their choices is not only valuable itself but also is the surest way to contribute in the economic growth and overall empowerment of women considered as the backbone of India's agricultural and rural economy. The formation of Self-Help Groups has inculcated a lot of confidence among their members and has significantly contributed in the eradication of poverty among the women. Though the Self-Help Groups have been operating in the state of Himachal Pradesh during the last two decades or so, yet their performance was not found up to the desired level due to some problems/constraints faced by the members. The study conducted on a random sample of 100 respondents selected from ten Self-Help Groups of two blocks of district Solan (Himachal Pradesh) has revealed that lack of technical guidance in post-harvest technology coupled with more engagement in household work, lack of social mobility and social security, financial dependency on their male counterparts and lack of awareness about credit sources/facilities etc, were some of the main constraints faced by them. Therefore, it is suggested that there should be a provision of marketing facilities for their products in the market, Facilities must be provided for timely information on credit sources, marketing risk and uncertainties, appropriate tools/machinery should be devised/designed to remove/overcome the drudgery of women besides provision of storage/infrastructure facilities and minimum support price for their products.