An assessment of women's empowerment in mixed Self-Help Groups in Dhanusha District of Nepal

Introduction: This research project is an assessment of the extent of women's empowerment in mixed Self Help Groups (SHGs) established by Nepal Leprosy Trust in Dhanusha District of Nepal, which is endemic for leprosy and has a high number of people disabled due to leprosy. Objectives: This study had four main objectives: (1) To assess the participation of women in mixed SHGs; (2) To assess the barriers to women's empowerment in mixed SHGs; (3) To compare the self-efficacy of women participants of SHGs with that of women who are not participants of SHGs; and (4) To assess the impact of female leadership in mixed-gender SHGs. Methods: Seven Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), 10 Key Informant Interviews (KII) and 68 interviews using the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE-H) were carried out by involving a purposively selected sample of 40 women in SHGs, 20 women not in SHGs, 8 women SHG leaders and 10 males of SHGs in Dhanusha District. Quantitative data were summarized into frequencies and percentages using Microsoft Excel 2007, and chi-square tests were done in EPI INFO 7.0. Qualitative data were coded and analyzed in Graph Pad Prism 7.0. Results: The results showed that SHG women have a significantly higher level of self-efficacy, than non-SHG women. Furthermore, the SHG women reported increased levels of confidence and self-esteem. Conclusion: The findings highlight the need for gender awareness and equity in the SHG programme and that more women facilitators are important when working with women in SHGs.