Impact of microcredit programmes on women empowerment: an empirical study in West Bengal

Based on an empirical study in West Bengal, this paper attempts to examine whether women‟s involvement in the microcredit programme through SHGs makes any positive change on women‟s empowerment that appears from the assessment on various indicators of power, autonomy and self-reliance, entitlement, participation , awareness and capacity-building. The study suggests that if women participating in the microcredit programme through SHGs sustain for some longer period (eight years or more), such a programme might contribute to higher level of women‟s empowerment than all types of control groups under stud