• Dr.Ranjeet Kumar

The socio- economic development of any country is possible only if women folk are also developed. It has been observed that the social, economic and political status of women in rural areas of Bihar remains very low). Majority of women in Bihar belong to marginalized groups; Scheduled Castes, Scheduled tribes and Other Backward Castes and engaged in the agricultural sector, they own just 14% of the agricultural landholdings in the state. Further, 92% of these landholdings are small and marginal. They depend on usurious moneylenders for farming and basic needs of life because formal Sources of credit is not adequate to these vulnerable group. To fill this gap micro credit programme has been introduced for poor especially the rural women. This study assesses the impact of micro credit on poverty, employment and empowerment of women in rural areas of Muzaffarpur district of Bihar. Impacts have been measured by comparing the SHG household participants with the non SHG household participants. The comparison was based on the primary data collected through survey method with a well - structured questionnaire which was pre tested before the interviewing the respondent. It shows that savings, incomes, employments of the SHG household participants increased more than non-participants through micro credit intervention. The study reveals that micro credit has been successful in diversifying the economic activities in rural areas. The increase in the engagement of participants in the economic activities has increased their level of employment and empowered women economically, socially, psychologically and politically. It was also found that the NGO supported SHG Group participants were more empowered as compared to the non SHG group participants.

Impact of Micro Credit, Poverty, employment and women empowerment, rural areas, Muzaffarpur and Bihar

"Impact of Micro Credit on Poverty, employment and women empowerment in rural areas of Muzaffarpur, Bihar ", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.4, Issue 4, page no.492-498, April-2017, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1704101.pdf

"Impact of Micro Credit on Poverty, employment and women empowerment in rural areas of Muzaffarpur, Bihar ", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.4, Issue 4, page no. pp492-498, April-2017, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1704101.pdf