A Study on Rural Women Entrepreneurs through Self-Help Groups with Special Reference to Dharmapuri District

Abstract

Women form a part of a human resource. Unless this section of the population is given opportunities to prove their capabilities, the development would be imperfect. It was in the ancient period the women were recognized equally with men and in fact they were head of the household and participated equally in decision making like men. It is only when surplus emerged and commercial production started, markets came to play a role. It is in this juncture there came a change in the role male and female. There came the gender division of labour mainly bringing men to outside, paid employment and women in unpaid and domestic work.  The gender disparity prevailed in various areas including literacy, education, nutrition and health, employment, decision making, participation in politics and executive positions, property rights, etc. This discrimination has been the outcome of the gender division of labour making the men to go out and market their services and so also act as the head of the household, decision-maker etc. On the other hand making women to remain at home to continuously perform the domestic activities such as taking care of the children, cook and wash for the family which have not been recognized as work till 1981 Census in India. As a result of making the men as breadwinners of the family, the female members also started assigning themselves a secondary role next only to men and as such they are treated as secondary citizen in the society.