Strong, traditional social practices in a male dominated society with feudal attitudes towards women keep the area backward on social and economic indices. Poor, marginalized women live in a cycle of deprivation.  In Haryana, the female literacy rate is 55.7%. Moreover, the very idea of empowering women faces stiff resistance from certain sections of society.

Against these strong social mores which result in strong discriminatory practices against women in India. A platform for progress has emerged through Arpana’s facilitation of 488 women’s self-help groups (SHGs), with over 6,192 members in 248 disadvantaged villages for emancipation, enterprise and empowerment. The total savings of these groups is Rs. 37,355,329

These SHGs have significantly improved the status of women through:

1.   Regular savings, easy access to credit.
2.   Enabling women to engage in business.
3.   Greater control over financial resources.
4.   Health awareness, which gives women a practical grounding for healthier families.
5.   Development activities for the village.
6.   Consultations by women members of SHGs, which are often sought by their peers on various issues
7.  Building strong federations for greater financial and social security