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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EDUCATION, MODERN MANAGEMENT, APPLIED SCIENCE & SOCIAL SCIENCE (IJEMMASSS) [ Vol. 8 | No. 2 (I) | April - June, 2026 ]

Empowering Rural Haryana: Self-Help Groups as Catalysts for Skill Development and Economic Resilience

Jaspreet Singh & Amna Mirza

Self-Help Groups (SHGs) have emerged as a cornerstone in the rural development strategy in India, although their effectiveness in fostering skill acquisition and building economic resilience is poorly understood in the socio-culturally conservative rural areas. This research paper focuses on the transformative effects of SHGs on skill acquisition and economic resilience development in rural Nuh district of Haryana, an area that faces major social and economic challenges, female literacy status of 37.6%, and a lack of financial formal financial access. To analyze the effectiveness of SHGs as catalysts for skill development and economic resilience among rural women, evaluate the impact on social empowerment, and examine institutional support mechanisms necessary for enhancing SHG effectiveness. The present study adopted a descriptive-exploratory design for the evaluation of the SHGs. A total of 120 women SHG members from Malab village in Nuh District of Haryana participated in the study selected through stratified random sampling. Analysis of primary data reveal that there has been 42% increase in the average monthly household income of SHG members that is from Rs. 8450 to Rs. 12000, the financial literacy has seen tremendous changes with more members participating in the savings regularly and access to formal banking services (78%). In the skill development programme of SHGs, women members acquired the skills in the handicrafts (35%), dairy (8.3%) and digital skills (10%). The major constraints were found in the market linkages (81.7%) and access to credit (70.8%) and the training for acquiring skills (60%). Therefore, the study establishes that SHGs can act as an effective institution in respect of skill development and economic resilience building of women in socio culturally marginalized rural areas. However, structural challenges require integrated policy approaches combining grassroots mobilization with institutional support, including market linkage mechanisms, digital literacy programs, and enhanced credit access. The study demonstrates SHG effectiveness in Muslim-majority contexts, contributing to literature on community-based development in diverse cultural settings.

Singh, J. & Mirza, A. (2026). Empowering Rural Haryana: Self-Help Groups as Catalysts for Skill Development and Economic Resilience. International Journal of Education, Modern Management, Applied Science & Social Science, 08(02(I)), 205–213. https://doi.org/10.62823/IJEMMASSS/8.2(I).9133
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DOI:

Article DOI: 10.62823/IJEMMASSS/8.2(I).9133

DOI URL: https://doi.org/10.62823/IJEMMASSS/8.2(I).9133

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