Welcome to Gram Sathi | Bringing Social Change through Community Mobilization

Women Empowerment Programme

Self-Help Groups (SHGs) & Financial Inclusion

Gram Sathi is committed to promoting women's economic empowerment by strengthening their capacities, enhancing access to livelihood opportunities, and supporting collective entrepreneurship. The organization believes that economically empowered women are better positioned to make informed decisions, contribute to their families and communities, and participate actively in social and economic development.

SHGs serve as effective platforms for service access and market linkages. By promoting collaboration among SHGs and other stakeholders, Gram Sathi seeks to create stronger opportunities for collective businesses, improved access to resources, and sustainable livelihood opportunities for women.

SHG Linkage under NABARD

In 5 districts of Jharkhand, Gram Sathi implemented a linkages program with hand-holding support of NRLM formal groups (SHGs). As per the legal framework, this program was implemented to enrich linkage with SHGs powered by NABARD. The linkage between SHGs and formal financial institutions involves banks providing financial services to SHGs and their members. This linkage has been recognized as an effective strategy for improving financial inclusion, especially in rural areas and among marginalized communities.

Formal financial institutions provide loans to SHGs, which then distribute these funds among their members based on their needs and repayment capacity. The program provides training and capacity-building support to SHGs to enhance their financial literacy and management skills.

Our Key Areas of Work

What We Do for SHGs & Women

Our initiatives focus on building women-led enterprises and strengthening community institutions such as SHGs and producer groups.

1. Women's Financial Empowerment

Strengthening financial awareness among women to enhance their participation in financial decision-making at household and community levels.
Supporting women's groups and Self-Help Groups (SHGs) with knowledge on savings, credit management, financial planning, and banking services.
Encouraging women to access formal financial institutions and government financial schemes.

2. Strengthening SHGs as Platforms for Service Access

The programme focuses on strengthening Self-Help Groups as effective platforms for service access and market linkages.
By promoting collaboration among SHGs and other stakeholders, the initiative seeks to create stronger opportunities for collective businesses, improved access to resources, and sustainable livelihood opportunities for women.
SHGs are supported to move beyond traditional savings and credit activities towards viable livelihood and business opportunities.

3. Digital Technology for Collective Businesses

An important aspect of the initiative is the promotion of digital technology for collective businesses.
Women and SHG members are encouraged to build their understanding and use of digital tools for enterprise development, communication, marketing, financial inclusion, and access to services.
This approach aims to make women-led enterprises more connected, efficient, and responsive to changing market opportunities.

4. Collective Entrepreneurship & Market-Based Enterprises

Supporting women in developing sustainable and market-based group enterprises.
Women are encouraged to identify livelihood opportunities based on local resources, skills, and market demand.
The programme focuses on strengthening their knowledge of enterprise development, business planning, financial management, product development, marketing, and market linkages.

MPOWERED Plus Program (Scale Up Cluster) — Trickle Up India Foundation

To advance its vision of women's economic empowerment, Gram Sathi is implementing the MPOWERED Plus Program (Scale Up Cluster) in partnership with Trickle Up India Foundation. The project focuses on strengthening women-led Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and promoting sustainable, market-based group enterprises.

The project is being implemented in Ramgarh and Ranishwar Blocks of Dumka District, Jharkhand. Through this initiative, Gram Sathi is working with:

92 Self-Help Groups

1,060 Women Participants

2 Blocks (Ramgarh & Ranishwar)

1 District (Dumka, Jharkhand)

A key component of the programme is building the confidence, leadership, and decision-making capacity of women. Through regular capacity-building initiatives, women are supported to take greater control over economic activities and become active contributors to household and community-level decision-making.

Financial Literacy Training Program for Women — CreditAccess India Foundation (CAIF)

Gram Sathi has implemented a Financial Literacy Training Program for Women in partnership with CreditAccess India Foundation (CAIF) across eight districts of Bihar and Jharkhand. The initiative focused on strengthening women's knowledge and confidence in managing personal and household finances, including savings, banking services, responsible borrowing, insurance, pension, social security schemes, digital banking, and protection from financial fraud.

Through structured training sessions and community-based Nukkad Natak (street plays), the programme reached over 8,000 women and extended financial awareness to wider communities. The initiative aimed to promote informed financial decision-making, increase women's engagement with formal financial institutions, and strengthen their role in achieving financial security and independence.

Our Approach to Women's Empowerment

Our approach to women's empowerment goes beyond income generation. We work towards strengthening women's economic independence, leadership, confidence, agency, and decision-making power. By supporting women-led collectives and promoting sustainable enterprises, Gram Sathi aims to create long-term pathways for women to achieve economic security and social empowerment.

Through the MPOWERED Plus Program, Gram Sathi continues to work towards a future where women are not only beneficiaries of development but also leaders, entrepreneurs, decision-makers, and drivers of change within their communities.

"Empowering Women, Strengthening Collectives, and Creating Pathways for Sustainable Economic Independence."