ABSTRACT
The concept of Self-Help Group has its roots in rural areas and it has been mooted along the rural semi-urban women to improve their living conditions. Today Self-Help Groups (SHGs) play a major role in poverty alleviation in rural areas. In India, this scheme was implemented with the help of NABARD as a main nodal agency in rural development. It is a self employment generation scheme especially for rural women, who do not have their own assets. The word 'Empowerment' means giving power. According to the International Encyclopaedia (1999), power means having the capacity and the means to direct one's life towards desired social, political and economic goals or status. Empowerment of women is not just a goal in itself, it is a key to all global development. Empowerment is an active multi-dimensional process to enable women to realize their identity and power in all spheres of life. This paper examines the women empowerment through SHGs and also explains the current position of women empowerment in India