• Yasha Malick
• Sangita Saini

World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 as a Health Emergency of International Concern on 30th of January 2020 and a pandemic on 11th of March 2020. The Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, declared the world's largest 21 days nationwide lockdown on the 24th of March 2020, which affected the entire nation with a population of 1.3 billion.1 That lockdown phase and pandemic have led to social and economic disruption not only in a developing country like India but across the world. Self-help groups (SHGs) have emerged as a mechanism for the delivery of microfinance services to the poor while also fostering financial independence for rural unemployed women. In the long run, improving rural women’s status in society by making them self-employed. SHG played a vital role in sensitizing women to comprehend their importance, gender discrimination, inequality, and their empowerment. The Covid-19 pandemic has totally shuttered the activities of the SHGs. The functioning of the SHGs was nil as no regular meetings were held during the lockdown. With the spread of the pandemic, the government started facing challenges to boost the economy and women SHG’s in several states have risen to the challenge of Covid-19. They did excellent work during the pandemic to protect the people from the Coronavirus by contributing to making the personal protecting gears like a mask, sanitizer, initiating community kitchen, supply of fruits, vegetables, and dry ration to the poor and needy, provided banking services at the doorsteps by acting as banking correspondents.2 The situation led to providing opportunities and new challenges for SHG women warriors. CONTEXT: Pandemic Covid-19 not only had detrimental impacts on people’s health, but it had diverse huge impacts on psycho-socio-economic aspects of societies worldwide. At one end, Covid-19 had halted the SHG operations by a reduction in available funds and resources, whereas on the other end several SHG’s has contributed to the fight against Covid-19 by providing essential PPE (like masks, hand sanitizers, disposable coats, etc.) for the frontline workers. Hence, we can safely say that as Covid-19 challenged the existence of SHG in the same way SHG has contributed immensely to the fight against Covid-19.

COVID-19 Pandemic, Psychosocial Intervention, Economic, Women Empowerment, Self- Help Groups, Lockdown

"Impact of COVID-19 and Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in India", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.8, Issue 12, page no.d616-d622, December-2021, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2112374.pdf

"Impact of COVID-19 and Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in India", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.8, Issue 12, page no. ppd616-d622, December-2021, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2112374.pdf