Khanna et al. (2015) conducted this project evaluation to determine the impact of the Tamil Nadu Empowerment and Poverty Alleviation (Pudhu Vaazhvu) Project on women’s empowerment, political participation and household wellbeing. Significant and positive impacts were made on all targeted outcomes during the first phase of the project, which spanned 2005 to 2011.
Read MoreJEEViKA is a rural poverty reduction program in Bihar, India, and this study looked at the effects it had on promoting socio-economic inclusion for rural impoverished households. The study found that JEEViKA resulted in higher levels of women’s empowerment, measured through increased mobility, decision-making and potential for collective action.
Read MoreIn a two-year RCT, Miller et al. (2014) evaluated the effects of Heifer Nepal’s SHGs on child health and nutrition in six communities. They found that Heifer’s programming resulted in greater incremental improvement on height-for-age (HAZ) and weight-for-age (WAZ) z-scores for children under five years of age in the intervention group.
Read MoreNewransky, Kayser and Lombe (2014) surveyed 64 women in Tamil Nadu who were either widowed or whose husbands had left to see if participation in an SHG had increased their self-efficacy. They found that the organization’s approach could play an important role in increasing members’ self-efficacy, particularly through frequent visits by facilitators and by providing regional trainings where women could master new behaviors.
Read MoreAn assessment of a Tearfund-funded HIV/Aids program in Malawi compared Village Savings and Loans (VSL) and SHG approaches. The study found that both methods enhanced savings culture, investment in businesses, asset accumulation, social interaction and increased members’ knowledge base. SHGs had a relatively higher potential for long-term economic growth and sustainability, socio-political empowerment of women on issues affecting their community, and enhanced leadership and self esteem.
Read MoreA cost-benefit analysis of Tearfund’s SHGs in Ethiopia found SHGs to be high impact and low cost, with a benefit-to-cost ratio ranging from 58:1 to 173:1. The returns on donor investment were high. SHG expansion was organic and scaled quickly. SHG members reported many social benefits, as well as increased asset accumulation, food security, and environmental awareness. The model has the potential to benefit women and girls and reduce religious and ethnic tensions.
Read MoreThe Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) in Rajasthan, India was evaluated to determine the effect of SHG membership on the autonomy of household decision making, political engagement and on inclusion in financial and labor markets. The study concluded that SEWA membership led to greater participation in group programs, increased control over domestic decision-making, greater awareness of where to express grievances (especially in regards to drinking water), willingness to take action on grievances and thus increased satisfaction with state of services.
Read MoreUsing national data collected from 22,825 villages across India, Saha, Annear and Pathak (2013) determined that the presence of an SHG in a village is associated with higher knowledge of family planning and maternal health service uptake. Villages with an SHG were more likely to know of and utilize family planning products and services, 19% more likely to deliver in an institution and 8% more likely to have fed their newborns colostrum.
Read MoreA Lancet study by Prost et al. (2013) undertook a systematic review of Randomized Control Trials in multiple countries to assess the impact of women’s groups on maternal and child mortality. The study found that participation in women’s groups was associated with a 37% reduction in maternal mortality, a 23% reduction in neonatal mortality, and a 9% reduction in still births.
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