• Dr. A.Amirthavalli
• K.Dhanapackiam

Empowerment as a concept was introduced at the International Conference in 1985 at Nairobi. The conference defined empowerment as a redistribution of social power and control of resources in favour of women. Women empowerment is an ongoing project all over the world and it is the key to sustainable human development. Further empowerment of women is the act of enabling women to make and enforce decisions concerning matters of vital importance to them in the direction to their choice. Empowerment is the process of equipping a person or group of persons with the power towards the development.1 Among the various empowerment activities the role of the Self Help Groups are more significant in Vellore district. By the Self Help groups the women obtain self confidence and they are kept away from depending on others. So by infusing the decision making function in the group they have liked to achieve self- confidence and that in turn improves their empowerment. Because from time immemorial the Indian women especially the women of Vellore district have not enjoyed the decision making power though they were engaged in various kinds of economic activities. Women, the passive receptacles, were invisible in the economic history of early Tamil Nadu that is during the Sangam age which lasted between the period between 300 B.C. and 300 A.D.2 As there are ample references about the flourishing economic condition of the Tamil country due to their agricultural prosperity, there are evidences in the Sangam Classics about the employment of women in agricultural pursuits. They had neither little nor any control over either production or distribution activities. Obviously they were engaged in different activities associated with smaller and mean pursuits of agriculture. The United Nations Organization is concentrating on this essential and wider perspective, by launching various women oriented programmes.3 Decided by many World Level Conferences on different occasions, efforts were made by world countries to concentrate on women empowerment. The government of India too had conceded to such measures of development. It had ensured women’s progress and promotion in many spheres which include their economic empowerment. As stipulated in the Indian constitution, importance is assigned to promote gender justice and equality, and to avoid discriminations of any nature between men and women.

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT IN VELLORE DISTRICT WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO SELF-HELP GROUPS

"WOMEN EMPOWERMENT IN VELLORE DISTRICT WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO SELF-HELP GROUPS", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.6, Issue 1, page no.105-114, January-2019, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1901G16.pdf

"WOMEN EMPOWERMENT IN VELLORE DISTRICT WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO SELF-HELP GROUPS", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.6, Issue 1, page no. pp105-114, January-2019, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1901G16.pdf