For a better world: Livelihood Security measurement of the SHG members

Abstract

Every human being needs basic security materially as well as morally and ethically to become responsible members of the society. People who lack basic security in themselves, within their families, in their workplaces and in their community tend to become socially irresponsible and behave opportunistically. The basic objective of MF programme is to empower the rural poor through their socio-economic improvement. We have observed that MF programme has a positive impact on income, voice-representation, freedom from morbidity, self-respect and so on. However, the overall security measurement for the members has been simplified here for analytical convenience. Although the mean value of the LSI (0.413) is low for all villages taken together, and there is the disparity in security level among the sample villages, these certainly do not indicate that MF programme has no role to play in the provision of livelihood security to the SHG members. The high index values for some villages (villages 6 and 4) indicate that the MF programme has a high potential to empower the rural poor through socio-economic improvement, and hence provide an assurance of basic security to the members. This view is further reinforced by the finding that amid members and non-members (control group) the group members are much better placed than non-members in terms of the security indices. Still a considerable task is ahead in this regard. Programme providers should concentrate on those components of the index, which have been assigned very low or zero values in the respective regions. In our sample, few such low value index components are the 'Access to Social Security Schemes', 'Insurance', 'Alternative Job Opportunity', 'Access to Proper Information', 'Mobility outside Village' etc. To make the programme viable for the poor, adequate policy support is required to improve these characteristics as much as possible. Much more disappointing is the result of the gender-wise security assessment over the sample members. It suggests that women are still much more vulnerable than men even after joining in SHG. Actually, lower wage, lower employment opportunity, lower asset holding and zero or limited influence of women in the household make them more vulnerable than men, and therefore make them suffer from severe insecurity in all sense. The group promoting agencies should concentrate extensively on these issues to minimise this gender gap with appropriate policy support. The security assessment according to member's education, special training and alternative job opportunity suggests that as these characteristics rises, members become more secure than others. To provide basic security to these members, therefore, an extensive capacity building programme should be introduced along with the usual saving and credit services. In this juncture it is also noted that, for the successful operation and implementation of the MF programme, development activities should combine with the usual programme. Without development initiatives say, better transport system, availability of school education, electricity facility, use of information and communication technology, organised market facility, strong administration and law-legislation within the society, etc., the programme will not be successful as we usually expect. Unfortunately, due to lack of enough funds in the developing nations like India, it is quite impossible to meet these entire targets simultaneously in every part of the society. Therefore, policy should be directed in this regard also to achieve these targets as early as possible. We should realise that MF is not a panacea. It is just an alternative poverty alleviation tool which can up-lift the socio-economic status of the poor partially. To provide all round basic security among the poor we should offer other development programmes side by side. The ultimate target of every society is to achieve some basic developments on the area of education, health, transport, communication, power generation and others. In India, direct government initiatives and PPP model (Public Private Partnership Model) have developed tracking these issues sincerely. Government should ensure effective implementation of these development programmes with minimum leakages.