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The basic nature of their work could be described asphysically exhausting, tedious, monotonous andrepetitive. Domestic workers are amongst the worstpaid workers. The results revealed that the majority ofthese workers earned only Rs. 30-40 per day. It isimportant to note that these abysmally low wages arenot due to a lack of productivity on the part of domesticworkers, but are rather a function of their low bargainingpower. Domestic worker is treated like a marketablecommodity. Employers determine who they want toemploy, for how long, at what wages and conditions,and at what point the domestic worker should bedismissed, with the domestic employee havingnegligible bargaining power is an easy victim ofexploitation.

The domestic workers are employed in the privatesphere of the house and their work is deemed assubservient. They tend to work for irregular hours andare subject to many forms of abuse and humiliationincluding threats of job loss. They are prone tonumerous problems like lack of living space, receivingless than the minimum wages, wage rates at thediscretion of individual employers, health and sanitationproblems, lack of job security, lack of sick or maternitybenefits and others. They were duped due to theirilliteracy and poverty.

Problems and Challenges of Women Workers in Unorganized Sector

There is no sustainability of employment of women workers in unorganized sector.

They are not getting proper training in unorganized sector.

Women belonging to lower caste and communities face more disparity in social terms.

They don’t get right to raise their voice and interrupt in financial decision in their ownfamily.

Exploitation is the main problem of female workers in unorganized sector.

In unorganized sector women are exempted from maternity benefit and child care facilities.

Women workers frequently face discrimination due to gender inequality

In unorganized sector women workers do not have benefit of minimum wage act or factories Act.

Acts and Programs for Women in Unorganized Sector

The central and state governments have taken many steps to address the problem ofemployment insecurity. Employment-generation programmes have always been given highpriority.The Karnataka Employment Guarantee Scheme, which is the longest survivingprogramme of its kind in the field (Bagchee, 2005), was introduced to provide gainfulemployment to those seeking it. In the recent past, the SampoornaGrameenRozgarYojana(SGRY) for wage employment and the Swarnajayanti Gram SwarozgarYojana(SGSY) forself-employment have been prominent central government programmes. The National RuralEmployment Guarantee Act (NREGA), 2005, which was approved by the Parliament in August2005 and which is currently being implemented in 200 districts of the country, is a response ofthe government to the massive employment crisis in the rural areas and gives ample indicationof the magnitude of employment insecurity in the country.

Efforts have also been made to regulate the conditions of employment and ensure the welfareof the workers. In the context of unorganized workers, a representative example of these is theConstruction Workers’ Welfare Bill in Karnataka, meant to improve the employment securityof the workers, including aspects like regulation of conditions of work, hours of work, paymentof minimum wages, overtime, safety measures, accident compensation, etc. The benefits of this Bill, however, are accessed mostly by the workers in constructioncompanies and contracting agencies1 as these workers, having relatively continuous employmentand easily identifiable employers, can easily be covered under the Bill.The ordinary construction worker, working for one or a number of contractors, seldombenefits from such legislations.2 The factors responsible for this are simply the features of the

unorganised sector itself, as mentioned earlier. The primary problem is one of availability ofcontinuous employment. This is a ‘promotional social security need’ of the workers, and itsfulfilment is imperative for the implementation of ‘protective’ measures such as those includedin the aforementioned Bill.

Domestic workers and social security Act, 2010: Women and child are morevulnerable exploitation so government has formulated this act for providing them betterworking conditions including registration.

Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA):

MGNREGA has played a remarkable role in employment of women workers inorganized sector. It has created better working conditions same wage to women and men.

The Unorganized Workers Social Security Act, 2008This act was passed in 2008 to provide for the socialsecurity and welfare of unorganized workers. Accordingto this Act the Central Govt. shall formulate suitablewelfare schemes for unorganized workers on matterrelating to life and disability cover, health and maternitybenefits, old age protection and the State Govt. mayformulate schemes relating to provident fund.,employment injury benefit, housing educationalschemes for children, skill up gradation of workers,funeral assistance and old age homes for unorganizedworkers. These schemes may be wholly funded by theCentral Govt. or State Govt. or party throughcontribution collected from the beneficiaries of thescheme or the employers. The Central Govt. shallconstitute a National Social security board and everyState Govt. shall constitute a state Social SecurityBoard to recommend suitable schemes and to monitorand review the expenditure under various schemes.Under this Act every unorganized workers, above theage of fourteen years, will be registered and issued anidentity card and will be eligible for social securitybenefits under the scheme. A number of schemes havebeen covered under this act to provide social security to the unorganized workers like National Family BenefitScheme, JananiSurakshaYojna, Indira GandhiNational Old Age Pension Scheme, AamAdmiBimaYojna etc.

Cooperative intervention: Cooperative provides employment and opportunitiesprovided to women worker for earning income. Corporative tries to make balance inindividual need and communing needs by empowering them.

Measures for empowerment of women in unorganized sector:

Providing basic education to women so that they become aware about the schemes andfacilities about the schemes for them.

Make women aware of technical and financial assistance available to women entrepreneurs, and to encourage them through concessions and incentives.

A trade Union should be formed among women workers.

Adequate training should be provided to women workers

There should be proper guidelines for recruitment process working hours and for healthhazards.

A supervisory body should be established to monitor the proper implemented of legislation and provision related to women workers

There is need of more effective poverty alleviation program.

Co-operative should be promoted because they are important role in improving the socio economic conditions of women workers

Government should focus on promoting gender equality and empowerment of women.

Conclusion:

In India around thirty crore people are working in the unorganized sectorand the number is on the rise. The meaning of unorganized sector, popularly known as unprotected sector, could be without regular source of income and working throughoutthe year. They constitute the fringes of society and are not getting a chance to be a part ofthe mainstream economy. It can be easily estimated that the women working in unorganized sector are living a life far below from satisfaction. The low earning of these women cannot meet with their daily needs. They do marry, bear children, and get old but under these phases of life, they live the same life. They live under unhygienic environment which results dangerous diseases. They work more than men as they have to play a dual role working both in and outside the home. They have no medical facilities even at the critical moment of giving but to children. A few of them are assisted by other members of family in household work otherwise they have to work solely. No doubt, there are laws to protect women and prevent exploitation but these laws (the Interstate Migrant Workmen Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service Act, 1979, The Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976 and Maternity Benefit Act, 1961), but these legislations are not practically and strictly implement. It is the need of the hour that government and NGOs must come forward to improve the lot of these women. The Trade Union and Voluntary Organizations can play a vital role in making them conscious of cleanliness, health, education and above all their rights and this can be done only with the joint efforts of the government, NGOs and common people. Much remains to be done for the betterment of these beautiful creations of God.

References

Bharat Jyoti (2008), Report on Socio-economic Status of The Women Domestic Workers, Ministry of WCD,

SantoshNandal (2004), Women Workers in Unorganised Sector: A study on construction industry in Haryana, International Journal of Development Issue, Volume 5 No.2 (2006),

Tinu K. Mathew (2008), Role of Social Movements in Organizing The Unorganised Sector Workers: A Case Study of LEARN, Dharavi

Vijya Kumar Sodadas (2011), Unorganised Sector in India Working and Living Conditions of Stone Quarry Workers

Dileep Kumar M. (2012) Inimitable Issues of Construction Workers: Case Study, British Journal of Economics, Finance and Management Sciences, Vol. 7

A STUDY ON THE PERFORMANCE OF SELF HELP GROUPS FOR COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT IN RAICHUR DISTRICT

Sumitra Pyati

Assistant Professor of Economics, GFGC, Manvi

ABSTRACT

Poverty and unemployment are the two major problems of under developed countries, to which India is no exception. The union Government has implemented various schemes to reduce poverty and promote gainful employment opportunities. But the most attractive scheme with less effort is the ‘self help groups’. In order to change the socio-economic scenario, SHG’s are playing significant role in the self employment by raising the level of income and standard of living rural people. In this framework, one of the most vital aspects is the formation of SHG’s which is a valuable investment in human capital through training and capacity building measures. An attempt has been made in this paper to study the performance of SHG’s for community empowerment in Raichur district with special reference to Jagruth Mahila Sangathan. The present study analyses the dalith women empowerment through the processes of Jagruth Mahila Sangathan.This study is based on secondary data like newspapers, journals, and websites.JMS envisaged as a collective of dalith women agricultural labourers in the district of Raichur in Northern Karnataka, working on issues of social and economic rights. It has financially supported the projects which are linked to Dalit Human Rights, Access to natural resources, increasing the economic and social bargaining power of Dalit women. It has its ultimate vision in envisioning A life of dignity for Dalit women and Dalit communities.

INTRODUCTION

Empowerment of women is multifaceted, multidimensional and multi layered concept. Women empowerment is a process in which the women understand their potentials and strengths and get greater share of controle over various kinds of resources like materials, human and intellectual resources along with socio economic independence. Basically women empowerment is a process in which women individually and collectively become active, knowledgeable and goal oriented actors who support initiatives to overcoming gender inequalities. The Govt. of India and state authorities alike have increasingly realised the importance of devoting attention to the economic betterment and development of rural women in India. TheIndian Constitution guarantees that there shall be no discrimination on the grounds of gender. Self Help Groups have, infact, emerged as one of the major strategies for poverty alleviation, human development and social empowerment. The purpose of SHG’s is to build the functional capacity of the poor and the marginalised in the field of employment and income generating activities. Self Help Groups can be defined as supportive educational and usually change oriented mutual aid group that addresses life problems or conditions commonly shared by all members. Empowerment is a multi dimensional process which should enable women to realise their full identity and power in all spheres of life (Sabyasachidas,2003).

CONCEPT OF SELF HELP GROUPS

A self help group is a registered or unregistered voluntary association of poor people of 10 to 20, from the same socio economic backgrounds and it involves primarily in saving and credit activities. A SHG is formed independently without any political influences. It can be all women group, all men group or even a mixed group. However it can be seen that over 90 % of these have only women members.The SHG provides not only saving mechanism, which suits the needs of the members but also has the cost effective delivery mechanism for small credit to its members. These starts with saving and not with credit; it uses its savings to give loans to members to meet their emergency and other needs. Self Help Group also known as mutual help, mutual aid, or support groups, are groups of people who provide mutual support for each other. In a self help group, the members share a common problem, often a common disease or addiction. Their mutual goal is to help each other to deal with, if possible to heal or