Collective Action and Community Development : Evidence from Self-Help Groups in Rural India

Collective Action and Community Development : Evidence from Self-Help Groups in Rural India

In response to the problems of high coordination costs among the poor, efforts are underway in many countries to organize the poor through "self-help groups" (SHGs) -- membership-based organizations that aim to promote social cohesion thr...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors:	Desai, Raj M., Joshi, Shareen
Format:	Policy Research Working Paper
Language:	English en_US
Published:	World Bank, Washington, DC 2013
Subjects:	ABUSE ACCESS TO CREDIT ACCESS TO FINANCE ACCOUNTABILITY AGRICULTURAL INCOME AGRICULTURAL INCOMES BANK ACCOUNT BANK LOANS BENEFITS OF PARTICIPATION BLOCK GRANTS BORROWING BRIBE BRIBES BRIBING CAPACITY BUILDING CENTER FOR DEVELOPMENT CIVIC ENGAGEMENT CIVIC PARTICIPATION COLLABORATION COMMUNITIES COMMUNITY AFFAIRS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS CONTRACEPTIVE USE COOPERATIVES CREDIT HISTORIES CREDIT INSTITUTIONS CREDIT MARKETS CREDIT MECHANISM DEMOCRACY DEPOSIT DEVELOPMENT POLICY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES DISADVANTAGED GROUPS DISTRICTS DOWRY DRINKING WATER DWELLING DWELLINGS ECONOMIC BACKGROUND ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES EDUCATION SERVICES EDUCATIONAL SERVICES EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES EQUALITY EXCLUSION FACILITATORS FAMILY DECISIONS FAMILY PLANNING FAMILY SIZE FARMERS FEMALE FEMALE LITERACY FINANCIAL CAPACITY FINANCIAL MARKETS FINANCIAL SYSTEM FINANCIAL TRAINING FORMAL FINANCIAL SECTOR GENDER GENDER EQUALITY GENDER GAP GENDER INEQUALITY GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS GREATER ACCESS GREEN REVOLUTION GROUP ACCOUNTS GROUP LENDING HEALTH SERVICES HOME OWNERSHIP HOUSEHOLD FINANCES HOUSEHOLD SIZE HOUSEHOLDS HUSBAND ILLITERACY ILLITERATE WOMEN INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS INDIVIDUAL WOMEN INDUCEMENT INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT INTEREST RATE INTERMEDIARY INTERNAL FUNDS INTERNATIONAL BANK INTERVENTION INTERVENTIONS INTERVIEWS JOB TRAINING KINSHIP LABOR FORCE LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION LABOR MARKETS LEARNING LEVELS OF EDUCATION LEVELS OF PARTICIPATION LIMITED ACCESS LITERACY TRAINING LOAN LOCAL COMMUNITY LOCAL GOVERNMENT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS MARITAL STATUS MARRIED WOMEN MEDICAL CARE MICRO-ENTERPRISE MICRO-ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT MICRO-FINANCE MICROFINANCE MICROFINANCE INSTITUTION MOBILITY NATIONAL COUNCIL NUMBER OF MIGRANTS PARTICIPATION RATES PERSONAL EMPOWERMENT POLICY DISCUSSIONS POLICY MAKERS POLICY RESEARCH POLICY RESEARCH WORKING PAPER POLITICAL PARTICIPATION POLITICAL PARTIES POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT POPULATION DENSITY POVERTY REDUCTION PREVAILING ATTITUDES PROGRESS PROJECT DESIGN PROPERTY RIGHTS PUBLIC HEALTH PUBLIC INVESTMENTS PUBLIC SERVICES RECONSTRUCTION RESIDENCY RESPECT REVOLVING FUND RURAL AREAS RURAL BANKS RURAL CREDIT RURAL DEVELOPMENT RURAL DISTRICT RURAL ECONOMY SANITATION SAVINGS SAVINGS ACCOUNT SAVINGS ACCOUNTS SCHOOL CHILDREN SCHOOLING SELF-EMPLOYMENT SELF-HELP SERVICE DELIVERY SHOPS SKILLS TRAINING SOCIAL COHESION SOCIAL EMPOWERMENT SOCIAL NETWORKS SOCIAL SCIENCE SOCIAL SECURITY SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS SOURCES OF CREDIT SPILLOVER SPILLOVER EFFECTS STATE GOVERNMENTS TRAINING PROGRAMS TRAINING SERVICES UNEMPLOYMENT VILLAGE VILLAGE LEVEL VILLAGES VOCATIONAL SKILLS VOCATIONAL TRAINING VULNERABLE GROUPS VULNERABLE WOMEN WOMAN WORKFORCE collective action
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2013/07/18051801/collective-action-community-development-evidence-self-help-groups-rural-india http://hdl.handle.net/10986/15907

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Summary:	In response to the problems of high coordination costs among the poor, efforts are underway in many countries to organize the poor through "self-help groups" (SHGs) -- membership-based organizations that aim to promote social cohesion through a mixture of education, access to finance, and linkages to wider development programs. The authors randomly selected 32 of 80 villages in one of the poorest districts in rural India in which to establish SHGs for women. Two years of exposure to these programs increased women's participation in group savings programs as well as the non-agricultural labor force. Compared to women in control villages, treated women were also more likely to participate in household decisions and engage in civic activities. The authors find no evidence however, that participation increased income or had a disproportionate impact by women's socio-economic status. These results are important in light of the recent effort to expand official support to SHGs under the National Rural Livelihood Mission.

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