Women Entrepreneurship through Microfinance: A Case Study of Prayas Jan Vikas Bhandol – Gandhinagar

Abstract

Microfinance is emerging as a powerful instrument and dominating force for poverty alleviation and providing linkage between Self Help Group-Bank as a cost effective mechanism for providing financial services to the marginalized families by women entrepreneurship; which has been successful not only in meeting financial needs of the rural poor women but also strengthen collective self-help capacities of the poor women. The female entrepreneurs are getting support through Prayas Microfinance Wing (Prayas Jan Vikas Bhandol) results in women’s ability to influence or make decision, increased self-confidence, better status and role in household etc. This paper puts forward how Prayas Jan Vikas Bhandol (PJVB) micro finance wing has received extensive recognition as a strategy for economic empowerment of women. This research examined the role of Prayas with respect to economic empowerment and poverty alleviation of rural women through entrepreneurship. An effort is also made to suggest the ways to increase women empowerment. The research used both quantitative and qualitative data collected from both primary and secondary sources. A sample of 30 women entrepreneurs from PJVB have been collected for the study. The Prayas Microfinance Wing was approached through questionnaire to collect primary data. Secondary data was collected from relevant books, journals, government publications, research reports, and various web sites. Analysis of data employed descriptive statistic. Further, the study established that Prayas microfinance wing provides economic support and have boosted women’s self-esteem of the marginalized women through the services of microfinance.