Women Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Rural Livelihoods: Evidence from Self Help Group in India.

Abstract

Women entrepreneurs in rural areas are key drivers as they are not only helping their communities grow by creating jobs, using local resources wisely, but also address community needs through innovative sustainable practices. Their enterprises often rooted in indigenous knowledge, local craftmanship, food processing, small scale manufacturing and sustainable agriculture practices. These enterprises generate income for themselves and also contribute to community growth, poverty reduction, social change and promoting gender equality. However structural constraints such as gender based credit system, lack of training, limited access to finance, infrastructure gap, social and cultural restrictions, market access issues continue to hinder their full potential. Despite facing these challenges women are breaking stereotypes with the help of government scheme, NGOs and self help groups digital platforms. With better training easier market connections, these women can play an even bigger role in making rural areas self-reliant and prosperous. The aim to this article is to show how rural women entrepreneurs are not just earning livelihoods but also they are reshaping their communities by blending traditional skills with innovative, sustainable practices. This article also explores the importance, provocation, and future prospectus of women entrepreneurship as a game changer in rural development.